WATCH: U.S. Military Sinks Boat Allegedly Used as 'Floating Refueling Station' for Drug Traffickers

WATCH: U.S. Military Sinks Boat Allegedly Used as ‘Floating Refueling Station’ for Drug Traffickers The United States military sank a vessel Friday in the Eastern Pacific that was a refueling station for drug traffickers, authorities said. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced the operation, directed by Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, CBS 4 reported. In a social media post, SOUTHCOM said officials coordinated and collaborated with Ecuadorian authorities. SOUTHCOM’s post reads in part: Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station in support of illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations in international waters of the Eastern Pacific. 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. 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. “This interdiction cuts off a critical node in the traffickers’ logistics chain and advances the goals of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) and JTF-WHEM to dismantle narco-terrorist networks,” SOUTHCOM continued. “The @DeptofWar and the A3C remain unwavering in their mission to defeat narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere and defend our homeland,” they continued. Video footage showed the moment authorities zeroed in on the boat and blew it up: In June of 2025, Ecuadorian authorities, with the help of American officials, arrested one of the country’s “most significant, violent drug lords,” who was identified as Jose Adolfo “Fito” Macias, the leader of “Los Choneros” Cartel, per Breitbart News. The U.S. Department of State designated Los Choneros a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) in 2025. “The United States, in partnership with Ecuador and its President Daniel Noboa, will continue to protect our two nations by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding drug cartels’ terrorism and criminal activity,” the State Department said in September 2025. “Today’s action further demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to eliminating cartels and ensuring the safety of the American people.”