U.S. Southern Command Destroys Los Choneros Refueling Station

Forces from the United States Southern Command intercepted and destroyed a floating refueling station in the Eastern Pacific on September 16, 2026. The vessel was linked to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian organized crime group designated as a foreign terrorist organization. U.S. commandos boarded the ship via speedboat, removed the crew, and sank the vessel using explosives. The detained crew members were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities for processing.

This operation was directed by the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM), a unit established in August to synchronize military operations with 18 partner nations of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition. The mission follows a similar interdiction of a Los Choneros fuel vessel the previous week and a lethal strike on September 9 that killed three people aboard a smuggling vessel in the Caribbean.

General Francis L. Donovan characterized the mission as a lawful and precise operation intended to dismantle the logistics and finances of narco-terrorists. These actions align with a 2025 order from President Donald Trump to crack down on drug cartels. However, officials in Colombia and Venezuela have criticized such operations as potential war crimes, alleging some victims are ordinary fishermen. Additionally, a July report by the Washington Post cited a Drug Enforcement Administration assessment indicating that these strikes have not reduced cocaine flow into the U.S. and have instead forced cartels to adapt their tactics.