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U.S. military takes out ship used as refueling station for alleged drug-trafficking boats
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- The U.S. military, working with Ecuadorian officials, boarded and sank a vessel in international waters near Ecuador that was allegedly used as a floating refueling station for drug-trafficking boats linked to the Los Choneros gang.
- Marines and sailors from the USS San Antonio boarded the ship without incident, removed the people on board, and the U.S. subsequently destroyed the vessel via airstrike.
- The operation was praised by SOCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan as a significant blow to narco-terrorist operations in the region, highlighting ongoing cooperation between the U.S. and Ecuador to combat drug trafficking.
- This strike is part of a broader U.S. campaign targeting drug traffickers in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, which has resulted in at least 227 deaths in 68 strikes since the campaign began nearly a year ago.
- The Los Choneros gang, responsible for significant drug trafficking in Ecuador, has been involved in violent conflicts following the 2024 escape of its leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, prompting increased military intervention by the Ecuadorian government.
