U.S. Southern Command sinks alleged Los Choneros refueling vessel

U.S. Southern Command announced on Thursday that its forces sank an alleged floating refueling station in the Eastern Pacific, marking the second such operation in a week targeting logistics networks supporting the Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Choneros. The operation, conducted on September 2, was carried out in coordination with the government of Ecuador. According to SOUTHCOM, personnel from the USS San Antonio intercepted, boarded, searched, and cleared the vessel without incident. The individuals found aboard were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities before U.S. forces sank the boat. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was operating as a refueling station to support illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations in international waters on behalf of Los Choneros, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization. "We are taking decisive action to dismantle and destroy sophisticated logistics networks used by narcoterrorists to traffic drugs and spread violence throughout the Western Hemisphere," said SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis L. Donovan.