U.S. Southern Command said on 2026-09-04 that on 2026-09-03 its forces intercepted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station supporting illicit drug trafficking in international waters of the eastern Pacific, and that intelligence confirmed the vessel was linked to the Ecuadorian gang Los Choneros. ^[1] Ecuador's government said on September 4, 2026 that the interception and sinking of Ecuadorian vessels by US forces were part of joint investigations with the United States targeting drug-smuggling activities linked to criminal gangs. ^[2] US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said on X that it successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station in support of illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations, linked to the Los Choneros gang, and that individuals removed from the vessel would be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities before the vessel was sunk. ^[3] Human Rights Watch reported in July 2026 that three Ecuadorian vessels were allegedly attacked by U.S. forces between January and March 2026, leaving at least eight people missing. ^[4] The article reports that the sinking of the vessel on September 3, 2026 was the third such sinking in a week with Ecuador's support, following two other suspected Los Choneros vessels sunk since the previous Friday. ^[5] The article reports that the Trump administration launched a campaign of aerial bombings against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific a year ago, leaving more than 200 dead. ^[6] Relatives of some crew members accused the US military of acting without evidence and said the men on the boats were fishermen; the wife of one crew member told Reuters in a phone interview that the men had been fishing when US forces boarded and that no drugs were found, an account not independently verified. ^[7] SOUTHCOM confirmed a previous attack on a 'low-profile' vessel that killed two people on August 23, 2026, and another US strike killed four people two days later; no victims were identified in either attack. ^[8]