On the 8th local time, US Southern Command said Joint Task Force–Western
Hemisphere (JTF‑WHEM) intercepted a vessel in the eastern Pacific that was
supplying fuel to illicit maritime drug-trafficking operations. Intelligence
linked the ship to Ecuadorian criminal group Los Choneros. Persons removed from
the vessel were handed to Ecuadorian authorities. After clearing the ship and
disembarking the crew, US forces sank the vessel.