Narco-terrorist refueling vessel intercepted Sept. 16, 2026

U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere forces, operating under its direction, interdicted a floating refueling station used to support illicit at-sea drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific on Sept. 16.

Intelligence tied the vessel to the Los Choneros violent narco-terrorist organization, the command said. Individuals taken off the ship were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. After the crew disembarked and the vessel was cleared, U.S. forces sank it.

The command said JTF-WHEM continues precise, professional operations aimed at dismantling the logistical networks that enable narco-trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. “Alongside our Ecuadorian partners, we are relentlessly pursuing narco-terrorists who prey on our citizens, undermine hemispheric security, and leave death and suffering in their wake. This deliberate, lawful, and precise operation saves lives and makes our citizens—from Ecuador to the United States—safer,” said the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan.