Overview
- Human Rights Watch published a 94-page report on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 documenting alleged torture, property destruction and unexplained maritime attacks connected to deeper U.S.-Ecuador security cooperation.
- HRW says two Ecuadorian fishing boats were struck by armed drones on March 17 and March 26 and that the Fiorella disappeared on January 20 with eight crew members still unaccounted for.
- Survivors told HRW that armed personnel wearing U.S.-style uniforms detained some crew and transferred them to the Salvadoran Coast Guard while U.S. defense officials and the Coast Guard deny responsibility for the attacks.
- The report says Ecuadorian soldiers arbitrarily detained and tortured four dairy farm workers during a partnered operation in San Martín between March 1 and 6 and that investigators found no credible link between the destroyed properties and armed groups.
- HRW based its findings on 62 interviews, medical and judicial records, satellite and vessel-monitoring data and more than 100 photos and videos, and it is pressing Congress to demand answers, greater oversight and stronger safeguards for partnered missions.