Overview
- U.S. Southern Command said its forces boarded and destroyed a floating refuelling vessel in the Eastern Pacific and transferred detained people to Ecuadorian authorities after the crew was removed on Sept. 3.
- Video posted by SOUTHCOM shows helicopters and small boats approaching, boarding and then destroying the vessel, though the time and location of the footage have not been independently verified.
- Ecuadorian officials defended the strikes as the result of joint investigations and said 28 crew members from two recent sinkings were taken to the port of Manta for processing.
- Human Rights Watch and relatives say some people seized in earlier operations remain missing and families and fishermen report fear and protests over possible wrongful targeting.
- The action is the latest phase of Operation Southern Spear and related task forces that the U.S. says have destroyed roughly 65–70 vessels since 2025, a campaign praised in some outlets for disrupting trafficking and criticized by rights groups for limited independent verification and legal oversight.