U.S. sinks second "floating refueling station" used by alleged drug traffickers

The United States military intercepted and sank a vessel that was allegedly being used to support at-sea drug trafficking by the Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Choneros, officials said on Wednesday. It came after a similar operation on Friday that destroyed another vessel linked to the gang, one of Ecuador's main drug trafficking and extortion groups. The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a social media post that its forces intercepted a vessel "operating as a floating refueling station" in support of Los Choneros in international waters of the eastern Pacific. The vessel was cleared without incident and those on board were transferred to Ecuador's authorities, SOUTHCOM said. Grainy video footage accompanying the post showed armed men boarding a boat, which was later blown up. On Sept. 2, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, and in coordination and collaboration with the Government of Ecuador, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station in support… pic.twitter.com/io55pvWff0— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) September 2, 2026 "This interdiction cuts off a critica...