Ecuadorian fishermen reported possible U.S. strikes on two vessels
Fishermen from Ecuador’s Manabi province reported that two local fishing vessels were struck by drones. Three security experts interviewed by Reuters believe the strikes were almost certainly carried out by the United States, although Washington has not officially claimed responsibility for these two incidents. NDTV World reported this, citing Reuters.
On March 17, the vessel Negra Francisca Duarte II, with a crew of 16, set sail from Manta, the province’s largest city. Three survivors told Reuters that before the strike, they heard the hum of a drone, after which an explosion occurred near the galley and the vessel caught fire. Some of the sailors jumped into the water, while others moved to two small motorboats.
According to the survivors, they were heading toward a vessel they believed to be a tuna boat, but were met by armed, English-speaking men in military-style clothing. The fishermen claim that they were taken to a Salvadoran Navy ship, from which they were transported to El Salvador, provided with medical care, and later sent to Ecuador on commercial flights. In a statement dated March 23, the Salvadoran Navy reported the rescue of 16 Ecuadorians who had been shipwrecked.
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Nine days later, according to the Permanent Commission on Human Rights, the vessel Don Maca from the same region was struck by a similar drone attack. At least eight fishermen from a third vessel, the Fiorella, went missing back in January. Two crew members of the Fiorella, who were on another smaller boat, told human rights activists that they saw smoke in the area of the main vessel’s last known location.
The U.S. Department of Defense referred inquiries regarding these strikes to U.S. Southern Command, which declined to comment, citing operational security and the protection of military personnel. At the same time, the U.S. has stated that, as part of Operation Southern Spear, it has destroyed 67 vessels and killed more than 220 people since September.
Fishermen in Manabi also face pressure from the criminal groups Los Choneros and Los Lobos, which, according to police, local residents, and anti-narcotics officials, forcibly recruit them to transport cocaine. Those who refuse to cooperate, according to Reuters’ sources, may be forced to pay $1,200 for each trip out to sea or risk violence against themselves and their families. According to this information, fishermen can be paid up to $40,000 per trip for transporting cocaine.
