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.
