Below is a news release from SOUTHCOM.
I love it. They boarded the vessel and took custody of the crew before sinking the vessel. Hopefully they will be the source of additional intelligence.
The video above shows that they were towing four smaller vessels. Were these small boats carrying drugs? They don’t say.
The news release doesn’t say where this happened but since it was done in cooperation with Ecuador it had to have been in the Eastern Pacific. We have seen previous interceptions that happened in the Area of the Galápagos Islands which are Ecuadorian territory.
Other video on Youtube indicates a destroyer may also have been involved in the operation.
How the vessel was sunk is not indicated in the news release, but the video suggests that it was machine-gun fire rather than something like a Hellfire.
Aug. 28, 2026
Interdiction of Narco-Terrorist Refueling Vessel, Aug. 28, 2026
On Aug. 28, at the direction of U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, and in coordination and collaboration with the Government of Ecuador, 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. The Department of War and the A3C remain unwavering in their mission to defeat narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere and defend our homeland.
“Today’s operation is a stark example of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition’s power to dismantle the sophisticated, clandestine narco-terrorist tactics and capabilities that have enabled the trafficking of dangerous drugs destined for American communities. Working together with our Ecuadorian partners, our coalition dealt a decisive blow to a narco-terrorist operation responsible for moving significant amounts of drugs through the region. Together with our regional partners, we are committed to defeating narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere.” — U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 