The US military intercepted and sank a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on September 2, 2026, which was allegedly supporting the Los Choneros organization, described by US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) as a violent narco-terrorist group. The operation was conducted under the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan and in coordination with the Government of Ecuador. The Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) reported that the vessel was functioning as a floating refueling station for illicit drug trafficking operations in international waters.
SOUTHCOM stated that intelligence confirmed the vessel's connection to Los Choneros. US Marines and sailors from the USS San Antonio boarded, searched, and cleared the vessel without incident. Multiple individuals were removed from the vessel and transferred to Ecuadorian authorities before the US forces sank the craft.
SOUTHCOM indicated that this operation disrupts a critical node in the alleged drug traffickers' activities, although the specific location of the operation was not disclosed. The action supports the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) and JTF-WHEM's mission to dismantle narco-terrorist networks in the region. Gen. Donovan emphasized the importance of dismantling logistics networks used by narco-terrorists to traffic drugs and spread violence throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Video footage released by SOUTHCOM shows military personnel intercepting and boarding the vessel before it was sunk. This interdiction is part of a broader campaign initiated by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks. SOUTHCOM has conducted numerous operations in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean targeting vessels associated with narco-terrorists, with previous strikes reportedly resulting in at least 227 deaths across 68 operations over the past year.