U.S. Forces Board and Sink Treasury-Sanctioned Refueling Vessel in Eastern Pacific

EASTERN PACIFIC — U.S. Marines and Sailors launched from the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17) boarded, searched, and cleared a vessel in international waters on August 28, then sank it after removing those aboard, U.S. Southern Command said.

The command stated that U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, directed the action. Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) carried it out with the Government of Ecuador, SOUTHCOM said.

According to the statement, the vessel was a floating refueling station for illicit at-sea drug trafficking, had already been listed under Department of the Treasury sanctions, and was operating in support of Los Choneros, a group the Department of State designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Sept. 4, 2025.

Additionally, it said that the boarding occurred without incident and that the people taken off the vessel were escorted to Ecuador. The command released video of an infrared-tracked vessel, a large explosion, and later color footage of a burning hull.

What Happened

• On Aug. 27, U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan met Ecuadorian and Colombian defense leaders in San Lorenzo, Ecuador, for an Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) session on the Colombia-Ecuador border corridor.

• On Aug. 25, JTF-WHEM struck a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean. SOUTHCOM said the strike killed four people it described as narco-terrorists.

• On Aug. 23, JTF-WHEM struck a low-profile vessel in the Eastern Pacific. SOUTHCOM said the strike killed two people it described as narco-terrorists.

• On Aug. 21, Marines with Littoral Combat Force-24, Sailors from USS San Antonio, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) ran a maritime interdiction full-mission profile underway in the Pacific Ocean, according to a Defense Visual Information Distribution Service photograph taken Aug. 21 and posted Aug. 25.

• On Aug. 20, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated an Ecuador-based network it said used commercial cover to refuel and resupply cocaine-laden go-fast boats in the Eastern Pacific.

Locations Affected

• Eastern Pacific Ocean, international waters. Exact coordinates not released by SOUTHCOM.

• Ecuador, destination given by SOUTHCOM for those removed from the vessel. Port of handover not named.

• Manta, Ecuador, area, home waters Treasury assigned to the sanctioned fishing network on Aug. 20. Not confirmed as the boarded vessel’s base.

Official Statements

• Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Aug. 28: “Today’s operation is a stark example of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition’s power to dismantle the sophisticated, clandestine narco-terrorist tactics and capabilities that have enabled the trafficking of dangerous drugs destined for American communities. Working together with our Ecuadorian partners, our coalition dealt a decisive blow to a narco-terrorist operation responsible for moving significant amounts of drugs through the region. Together with our regional partners, we are committed to defeating narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere.”

• U.S. Southern Command, Aug. 28: “U.S. Marines and Sailors, launched from USS San Antonio (LPD 17), interdicted, boarded, searched, and cleared the vessel without incident. Individuals removed from the vessel were safely escorted to Ecuador. Once cleared, U.S. forces sank the vessel.”

• U.S. Southern Command, Aug. 28: “Intelligence confirmed the vessel, previously identified and targeted under Department of the Treasury sanctions, was operating in support of the Los Choneros violent narco-terrorist organization.”

• Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury, Aug. 20: “Under President Trump’s leadership, Treasury is relentlessly targeting the narcoterrorist networks that profit from poisoning Americans. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to disrupt the cartels’ drug trafficking operations and protect our borders.”

• Thomas Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Department of State, Sept. 4, 2025: “Today, Secretary Rubio announced the designations of Los Choneros and Los Lobos as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). Los Choneros and Los Lobos have attacked and threatened public officials and their families, security personnel, judges, prosecutors, and journalists in Ecuador. Both Los Choneros and Los Lobos are linked to U.S.-designated FTOs and SDGTs Cártel de Sinaloa and Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.”