US military sinks vessel allegedly supporting narco-terrorist operations in Pacific

The US Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere interdicted and sank a vessel that reportedly functioned as a “floating refueling station” for illegal drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, the US military’s Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said Friday.

Military intelligence alleged that the ship supported the Los Choneros “violent narco-terrorist organization,” SOUTHCOM said on US social media company X.

US forces were launched from the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) to board and search the vessel, which was previously targeted under the Treasury Department’s sanctions, it said.

The military confirmed that individuals removed from the vessel were safely escorted to Ecuador. Once the ship was cleared, US forces sank the vessel.

SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis Donovan characterized the operation as a “decisive blow” against regional narcotics networks. He asserted the action demonstrated the “Americas Counter Cartel Coalition's power to dismantle the sophisticated, clandestine narco-terrorist tactics” that facilitate drug flows toward American communities.

The Ecuador-based Los Choneros was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the US last September.