US destroys suspected drug-trafficking vessel in eastern Pacific, with no casualties for the first time

A vessel used, according to the US military, by drug traffickers to refuel has been destroyed in international waters in the eastern Pacific.

The operation differed from previous actions because the people on board were evacuated before the vessel was destroyed, and no lethal force was used against them.

The US Southern Command for Latin America and the Caribbean, SOUTHCOM, said the vessel was linked to the Los Choneros gang, considered one of the most powerful criminal groups in Ecuador.

After leaving the vessel, the individuals were handed over to Ecuadorian authorities. According to SOUTHCOM, the entire operation was planned and carried out in cooperation with the Ecuadorian government.

US authorities also released a video clip about 20 seconds long showing the moment when a powerful explosion completely destroys the vessel.

This is considered the first known case since the campaign began in September 2025 in which a vessel suspected of drug trafficking has been destroyed by the US military without attacking the people on board and without causing any casualties among them.

SOUTHCOM said the mission’s objective was to eliminate “a critical supply hub for drug traffickers.”

Since September 2025, US actions against vessels suspected of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific have caused more than 200 deaths. The US military has described those killed as “narco-terrorists,” while Washington says the campaign is aimed at blocking maritime drug trafficking to the US market.

However, the administration of President Donald Trump has not made public evidence proving that the vessels targeted during these operations were involved in drug trafficking or other illegal activities.

The actions have been condemned by international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, as well as by independent United Nations experts. They say the attacks violate international law, while the use of lethal force has been denounced as an extrajudicial execution.