US Marines Destroy Narco Refueling Vessel in Ecuadorian Waters

US forces from USS San Antonio interdicted and destroyed a vessel used as a floating refueling station for Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian organized crime syndicate, in coordination with the Ecuadorian government. The vessel was previously sanctioned by the US Treasury. This marks a continued counter-narcotics operation under Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, signaling sustained US military pressure on drug trafficking logistics in the Eastern Pacific.