Fishermen from Ecuador’s Pacific coast have reported a series of confrontations with US military forces conducting operations in regional waters. In March, Jose Hernan Flores said his fishing vessel was struck by military drones, caught fire, and sank. After abandoning ship, Flores and his crew encountered armed soldiers who detained them before they were transferred to Salvadoran naval forces and eventually deported. Flores estimates his boat, which he was still financing, was worth approximately $400,000.
Flores’s account is one of numerous reports from Ecuadorian fishing communities describing similar incidents. The Pentagon has intensified maritime operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea since the start of the current presidential administration, carrying out dozens of strikes on small vessels. US officials characterize these operations as necessary to counter drug-trafficking organizations, which the Trump administration describes as “narco-terrorism.” Ecuador’s geographic position between major coca-producing regions has made it a critical transit zone for cocaine trafficking, positioning the country as a strategic partner in US counter-narcotics efforts. This week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the region to secure additional support, announcing $45 million in supplemental security funding for Ecuador and confirming that US military personnel are deployed alongside local forces.
However, fishing communities and industry representatives express significant concern about the impact on civilian livelihoods. In the village of Santa Marianita, family members of missing fishermen gathered to demand answers about disappeared crew members. The fishing vessel Fiorella disappeared near the Galapagos Islands in January, with eight of ten crew members remaining unaccounted for. According to reporting, the operation involved a covert CIA program targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels, though US authorities have not publicly acknowledged involvement in this specific case.
Professional fishing associations report that approximately eighty percent of the fleet remains in port rather than at sea due to safety concerns. Association representatives have called on the US government to provide evidence supporting its targeting decisions and to establish clearer protocols for distinguishing between fishing and trafficking vessels. Meanwhile, legal challenges have emerged regarding detention practices, with an Ecuadorian judge ordering the release of 28 fishermen on Saturday, citing insufficient evidence for custody. The situation reflects the complex position fishing communities occupy between criminal organizations exploiting local ports and foreign military operations occurring in shared waters.
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