US strikes on Ecuadorian fishing boats raise humanitarian concerns but Trump admin not wavering
Summary
US forces destroyed several Ecuadorian fishing boats in the eastern Pacific after intercepting them near Ecuador, suspecting the boats were used to support drug trafficking. Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, supports these joint operations with the US and has taken strong measures against drug gangs. Ten crew members were rescued by the Ecuadorian navy after their boat was destroyed.Key Facts
- On September 8, a US patrol vessel intercepted the Ecuadorian fishing boat Don Rufo in international waters near Ecuador.
- The US forces detained the crew, loaded explosives on the fishing boat, and blew it up after removing some crew members.
- Ten other crew members on a smaller boat were left adrift and were rescued by the Ecuadorian navy two days later.
- The US Southern Command says intelligence showed the fishing boats were being used as floating refueling stations for speedboats carrying drugs.
- Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, supports these US-Ecuador joint operations against drug trafficking.
- President Donald Trump compared the drug gangs to ISIS, saying they should be treated as enemy combatants without release.
- Ecuador, while not a cocaine producer, has become a trafficking hub due to its Pacific coast location.
- Noboa has declared states of emergency and expanded military roles to fight drug gangs with an “iron-fist” policy.
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