The United States has sunk another floating vessel in the Pacific that is believed to be connected to the Ecuadorian criminal group Los Choneros, according to ABC. The operation was reported on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
ABC described the target as a floating station. Other outlets covering the same operation gave differing descriptions of the vessel. Europa Press reported it as a suspected refueling station for the gang, while Libertad Digital called it a boat belonging to Los Choneros, which it labeled a narcoterrorist organization.
20Minutos reported that US forces intercepted the vessel, rescued its crew, and then sank it, describing the sequence as an unusual operation.
Infobae, meanwhile, reported that the United States has now sunk seven fishing boats in Ecuador over alleged support for drug trafficking. It was not immediately clear from the available reporting whether that figure includes the vessel described in Thursday's accounts.
The reports differ in how they characterize the target and the wider campaign, and no single account confirms every detail carried by the others. ABC's headline referred to the sunken vessel as another floating station, indicating at least one earlier similar operation.
What to watch next: whether US or Ecuadorian authorities release an official statement confirming the vessel's ownership, the fate of its crew, and how the operation fits into the broader count of sunken boats reported by Infobae.