Fishermen along Ecuador’s Pacific coast have filed multiple accounts of hostile encounters with United States military personnel operating at sea. Jose Hernan Flores recounted an incident in March when his fishing vessel, La Negra Francisca Duarte II, was struck by military drones, injuring two crew members and causing the boat to catch fire. After abandoning ship, Flores and his crew encountered armed soldiers in military uniforms who detained them before transferring them to Salvadoran naval forces. The boat, valued at approximately $400,000, was destroyed, and Flores continues to service the loan used to purchase it.
The situation reflects broader tensions surrounding US military operations in the region. Since the beginning of the Trump administration’s second term, the Pentagon has conducted numerous strikes on small vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. US officials characterize these operations as necessary to combat drug trafficking and what they term “narco-terrorism.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced plans to provide Ecuador with $45 million in additional security funding and military equipment while confirming that US elite forces are collaborating with Ecuador’s government to address criminal organizations.
However, fishing communities report mounting concerns about the consequences of US military presence. In January, the fishing vessel Fiorella disappeared near the Galapagos Islands with eight of its ten crew members still unaccounted for. Families of the missing fishermen have publicly called for answers, while local fishing associations report that fear of being mistaken for drug traffickers has caused significant portions of the fishing fleet to remain in port. According to reporting, some operations may have been conducted as part of a covert CIA programme targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels, though the US has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for all incidents.
Ecuadorian officials and fishing industry representatives have questioned the conduct of these operations. A judge in Ecuador recently ordered the release of 28 fishermen, determining insufficient evidence warranted their detention. Industry representatives have requested that the US government provide evidence of drug trafficking allegations before engaging in vessel destruction. Fishing communities now report being caught between threats from both US military operations and criminal organizations using ports for illicit activities.
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