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U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Tuesday that the U.S. sank another vessel characterized as a "floating refueling station" linked to drug trafficking efforts. "On September 8, under the direction of #SOUTHCOM, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) forces successfully interdicted a floating refueling station supporting illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations in the Eastern Pacific," SOUTHCOM noted in a post on X. "Intelligence confirmed the vessel's involvement with the Los Choneros violent narco-terrorist organization. Individuals removed from the vessel have been transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. After clearing the vessel and disembarking the crew, U.S. forces sank it," the post continued.
"JTF-WHEM continues to conduct precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks fueling narco-trafficking in the Western Hemisphere," SOUTHCOM added. The post was the latest in a string of similar announcements about the U.S. sinking vessels serving as refueling stations linked with the Los Choneros, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The Ecuador-based gang Los Choneros is a major driver of destabilizing violence in Ecuador, according to a counterterrorism guide. "Los Choneros engages in a range of violent and criminal activities, including hired killings; kidnappings; political assassinations; and the smuggling of weapons, explosives, and drugs," the document notes. "Los Choneros uses prisons and illegal gold mines as operational bases and cooperates with the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel and with Albanian cartels to facilitate drug shipments globally."