U.S. military personnel on Saturday boarded a vessel that allegedly belonged to drug trafficking organizations in international waters near the coast of Ecuador. The operation was carried out against the boat called "María Candelaria," which was located approximately 270 nautical miles (about 500 kilometers) from the Ecuadorian coast, outside the country's territorial waters.
According to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), this vessel was part of a refueling platform made up of several vessels that provided services to drug trafficking in the Pacific. This platform provided support to the narco-terrorist organization Los Choneros, considered violent by U.S. authorities.
Up to four vessels were boarded by U.S. military personnel over the past nine days in this same region. The people found on board the vessel were handed over to Ecuadorian authorities for the corresponding legal procedures.
Following the boarding and interdiction operations, the vessels were sunk, as reported by the U.S. Southern Command, which did not specify the exact reason for this decision in the information available.
