US sinks boat allegedly supporting Los Choneros

The United States military intercepted and sank a vessel allegedly used to support at-sea drug trafficking by Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Choneros, officials said Wednesday.

US Southern Command said its forces stopped a vessel in international waters of the Eastern Pacific that was “operating as a floating refueling station” in support of the gang. SOUTHCOM said the vessel was cleared without incident and that those on board were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.

The command said the operation was conducted in coordination with Ecuador's government. Video footage accompanying its post showed armed men boarding a boat, which was later blown up.

SOUTHCOM chief General Francis Donovan said the United States was acting against logistics networks used by “narco-terrorists” to traffic drugs and spread violence in the Western Hemisphere.

The operation followed a similar one on Friday that destroyed another vessel described as linked to Los Choneros, one of Ecuador's main drug trafficking and extortion groups.

In the Ecuadorian port city of Manta, relatives of fishermen sought information Wednesday after losing contact with a boat that left Friday for a fishing trip. Olivia Holguin, sister of the ship's captain, told AFP the crew were fishermen and that relatives wanted to know whether they were safe.

Relatives said the crew had reported seeing helicopters and military boats approaching. AFP has not been able to verify whether that boat was the same vessel destroyed by US forces.

The US military launched operation “Southern Spear” a year ago. President Donald Trump has argued that Washington is effectively at war with drug cartels operating out of Latin America. More than 200 people have been killed in strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since then, according to an AFP tally.

Trump's administration has not provided definitive evidence that the vessels it has been striking are involved in drug trafficking. Ecuador joined Trump's US-led “Shield of the Americas” coalition against drug trafficking in March.