U.S. Task Force Sinks Los Choneros Refueling Vessel

A U.S. task force intercepted and sank a vessel serving as a floating refueling station for drug traffickers in the international waters of the eastern Pacific on September 2, 2026. The operation was conducted by the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere under the direction of U.S. Southern Command. Marines and sailors from the USS San Antonio boarded and cleared the vessel before sinking it.

The mission targeted a logistics node supporting Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian organization designated by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Personnel found on board the vessel were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. This interdiction follows a similar operation on August 26 that targeted the Los Lobos gang.

Commander Francis L. Donovan stated that the military is taking decisive action to dismantle logistics networks used by narco-terrorists to traffic drugs and spread violence throughout the Western Hemisphere. He noted that the operation demonstrated the elite capabilities and precision of the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere.