A US patrol vessel intercepted and destroyed the Ecuadorian fishing boat Don Rufo in international waters on September 8, displacing ten crew members who were fishing at sea. The boat’s captain and five crew members were initially taken into custody by US forces and later handed over to local authorities. The Ecuadorian navy rescued the remaining ten fishers two days later. The operation occurred as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Ecuador, where he received recognition from the country’s president for regional peace efforts.
The destruction of the Don Rufo represented one of eight similar operations involving Ecuadorian vessels that occurred over approximately two weeks. US Southern Command stated the boat was being used as a “floating refuelling station” for drug trafficking operations, a characterization the fishers deny. Unlike nearly 70 previous US airstrikes in the Pacific and Caribbean that resulted in fatalities, crews were removed before vessels were destroyed in these newer operations. The attacks have occurred with the explicit support of Ecuador’s government under President Daniel Noboa, who has characterized them as “joint operations.”
The operations reflect an evolving US military strategy against drug trafficking in Latin America, with analysts describing Ecuador as a testing ground for expanded enforcement methods. Ecuador has become a major trafficking hub despite not producing cocaine domestically. President Noboa has pursued controversial security measures including repeated states of emergency and expanded military authority, though these actions have not reduced violence and have raised human rights concerns. The government signed an agreement granting US military personnel immunity from prosecution during counter-narcotics operations.
Human rights organizations have criticized the operations, with a UN special rapporteur concluding reasonable grounds exist to classify some airstrikes as crimes against humanity. Local estimates indicate over 220 fishers have experienced violent boardings, arbitrary detentions, and vessel destruction in the operations. Several identified victims were innocent or occupied lower positions in trafficking networks. Despite administration claims of effectiveness, available data indicate the operations have had no measurable impact on cocaine volumes entering the United States. Many detained fishers have been acquitted for insufficient evidence, though some face ongoing prosecution.
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