U.S. forces sink narco-refueling vessel used by Ecuador's Los Choneros in Pacific, SOUTHCOM says U.S. forces sank a floating refueling vessel tied to Ecuador's Los Choneros in the Eastern Pacific after removing the people aboard. SOUTHCOM said those individuals will be handed over to Ecuadorian authorities. U.S. forces sank a floating refueling vessel used by an Ecuadorian organized crime ring in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, officials said. The vessel was linked to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian narco-terrorist organization, and was destroyed only after the people aboard were removed, according to U.S. Southern Command. The command described the action as a strike against the supply chain that supports narcotics trafficking at sea. In a post on X, SOUTHCOM said: 'JTF-WHEM continues to conduct precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks fueling narco-trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.' That language pointed to a broader push against at-sea drug trafficking operations. The refueling craft was used as a floating station for criminal actors operating in the Pacific. SOUTHCOM said the people found aboard were removed from the vessel before it was sunk. They will be handed over to Ecuadorian authorities.Once the boat was cleared, U.S. forces sank it. The sinking was intended to prevent the vessel from being used again to refuel drug smuggling boats. The action removed a visible piece of the criminal logistics network that operates near Ecuador's maritime corridors. The military mission was conducted under Joint Task Force West Hemisphere, or JTFWH.SOUTHCOM activated the task force in August to counter threats, strengthen regional security and respond to crises in the Western Hemisphere. The area of operations includes the Eastern Pacific, where drug routes connect South American production zones to markets further north. The U.S. government treats Los Choneros as a narco-terrorist organization rather than a conventional cartel. Its members have attacked and threatened public officials and their families, security personnel, judges, prosecutors and journalists in Ecuador, the State Department said.Those attacks help the group maintain control over the drug routes that pass through Ecuador. State Department deputy spokesperson Thomas Pigott said: 'Their ultimate goal is to control drug trafficking routes through Ecuador by terrorizing and inflicting brutal violence on the Ecuadorian people.' Pigott's comment linked the violent tactics of Los Choneros to the strategic purpose behind the refueling vessel and similar operations. The sinking is part of the broader U.S. effort to dismantle logistics networks that support narcotics smuggling in the Western Hemisphere. SOUTHCOM said the work is ongoing and geared toward the infrastructure that lets criminal organizations keep their boats at sea.The handover of the people removed from the vessel to Ecuadorian authorities also reflects the coordinated response among nations affected by the group's activities. U.S. officials said the operation was part of a wider effort to counter threats and respond to crises in the Western Hemisphere. The destruction of the refueling vessel is meant to reduce the ability of groups like Los Choneros to support drug-trafficking operations far from shore.