USA – U.S. forces under the direction of U.S. Southern Command interdicted a floating refueling station in the Eastern Pacific on September 8, identifying the vessel as supporting illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations.

The 14-second video shows Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere forces boarding and clearing the floating vessel before sinking it. Intelligence confirmed the vessel’s involvement with the Los Choneros violent narco-terrorist organization.

After clearing the vessel and disembarking the crew, U.S. forces sank it. Individuals removed from the vessel were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.

The operation comes as JTF-WHEM continues a series of board-and-sink operations involving floating refueling vessels in the Eastern Pacific. Releases in the series were posted on August 28 and September 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8.

JTF-WHEM was established in August under U.S. Southern Command to target cartel logistics with partner states. Los Choneros is an Ecuador-based organization designated by Washington as an FTO and SDGT.

The September 8 release does not identify the vessel by name or provide its tonnage or any drug seizure figure. An earlier vessel in the series was identified as María Candelaria on September 5.

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