U.S. Southern Command announced on Sept. 4 that American forces, in coordination with Ecuadorian authorities, sank a vessel operating as a floating refueling station for maritime drug traffickers in the eastern Pacific. The operation was conducted on Sept. 3 by a Marine task force aboard the USS San Antonio, which boarded, searched, and cleared the vessel before sinking it.
The individuals on board were removed and transferred to Ecuadorian authorities for processing. A separate but similar operation was conducted on Aug. 28, when U.S. forces also sank a refueling vessel linked to the same cartel. Both actions were carried out under the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), a military partnership established in March 2026 to disrupt cartel operations across the Western Hemisphere.
Operation details and coordination
The Sept. 3 interdiction was executed without incident, according to U.S. Southern Command, which stated that the vessel was identified through intelligence as supporting the Los Choneros cartel. The operation was conducted in international waters and involved coordination with the government of Ecuador. Southern Command described the vessel as a critical node in the traffickers’ logistics chain, emphasizing its role in facilitating illicit drug trafficking at sea.
U.S. forces removed all individuals on board prior to sinking the vessel, transferring them to Ecuadorian custody. The statement did not specify the number of people detained or their identities.
Cartel designation and regional impact
The U.S. State Department designated Los Choneros and another group, Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organizations in September 2025, citing their attacks on public officials, judges, prosecutors, journalists, and security personnel in Ecuador. The groups were also linked to major Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and were accused of seeking control over drug-trafficking routes through Ecuador using violence against civilians.
The U.S. government stated it would continue working with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to disrupt cartel revenue streams. Southern Command highlighted the ongoing mission of the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) and the A3C in dismantling narco-terrorist networks in the region.
Background on Los Choneros
Los Choneros originated in Ecuador in the 1990s and has since expanded into one of the country’s most powerful criminal organizations. The group is known for trafficking cocaine into the United States and has been linked to widespread violence in Ecuador and other parts of South America. The cartel’s operations have contributed to a surge in drug-related crime and instability in the region, prompting increased international counter-narcotics efforts.