World News
U.S. military and Ecuadorian forces destroy alleged cartel refueling vessel in Pacific
U.S. forces boarded and sank a ship in international waters linked to the Los Choneros gang as part of an ongoing counter-narcotics campaign.
The short version
- U.S. forces, working with Ecuadorian officials, boarded and sank a vessel in international waters near Ecuador on Friday.
- U.S. Southern Command identified the ship as a floating refueling station for drug-trafficking boats linked to the Los Choneros organization.
- Personnel aboard the vessel were safely cleared and transferred to Ecuador before a U.S. airstrike scuttled the ship.
- The action is part of a broader U.S. military campaign targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean.
Key facts
- U.S. Marines and sailors from the USS San Antonio boarded and cleared the targeted vessel in international waters near Ecuador without incident.[CBS News]
- U.S. Southern Command alleged the ship functioned as a floating ship-to-ship refueling station for boats belonging to the Los Choneros cartel.[CBS News]
- Individuals removed from the vessel were transferred to Ecuadorian custody before the U.S. military sank the ship using an airstrike.[CBS News]
- The U.S. military counter-narcotics strike campaign has killed at least 227 people across 68 strikes over nearly a year.[CBS News]
What remains uncertain
- The exact number and identities of the individuals detained on the vessel and turned over to Ecuador were not specified.[CBS News]
Sources
- U.S. takes out refueling station for alleged drug-trafficking boatsCBS News - Top Stories