The United States has sunk another Ecuadorian vessel in the Pacific after alleging that it was linked to the criminal group Los Choneros and supported drug trafficking operations. The operation, carried out by the U.S. Southern Command on Monday, marks the latest in a series of actions by American forces against boats in Latin America that Washington says are involved in the illegal drug trade.

The joint task force intercepted what the Southern Command described as a floating refuelling station used to support illicit drug trafficking operations at sea in the Eastern Pacific. People found on board were removed from the vessel and are expected to be handed over to Ecuadorian authorities. Ecuadorian officials had not immediately responded to the operation.

A video released along with the U.S. announcement showed military personnel boarding the vessel. It then showed a helicopter flying above the ship before a projectile struck the vessel and caused it to sink. The Southern Command said U.S. forces are continuing to carry out “precise and professional operations to dismantle the logistical networks that fuel drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.”

The vessel that was sunk on Monday has not been identified by name. It was the fifth vessel targeted by the U.S. forces in less than two weeks. The operation is part of the U.S. military campaign against boats that Washington says are connected to drug trafficking networks operating across the region.

Last week, U.S. forces struck the fishing vessel María Candelaria in the Pacific in an operation carried out in coordination with Ecuadorian authorities. The Ecuadorian navy arrived at the Port City of Manta on Sunday and located 26 crew members from the vessel and another eight fishermen from another vessel, the Conquista II. Their families on the mainland had earlier demanded information about their whereabouts.

Two other vessels, the OM2 and Los Tres Hermanos, were also reportedly sunk. Crew members from the boats said that the U.S. forces had targeted them. The Southern Command has described both vessels as “floating refuelling stations for multiple vessels engaged in illicit drug trafficking operations.” The U.S. military made the claims in posts on the social media platform X.

The United States has said that all the targeted boats were connected to Los Choneros, a powerful Ecuadorian criminal group that Washington classifies as a foreign terrorist organisation. The latest operations have raised concerns over how the U.S. identifies vessels and their alleged links to criminal groups.

The US forces have reportedly intercepted three more vessels this year. One of them, the Fiorella, has been at the centre of particular concern after eight fishermen went missing in January and have not yet been found. Crews from the other vessels returned to Ecuador after they were sent to El Salvador.

The U.S. campaign has faced criticism over both its legality and its effectiveness. At least 227 people have been killed in 68 U.S. government strikes against boats in the Caribbean and Pacific over more than a year. Critics have questioned whether the strikes comply with international law and if it is an effective way to stop drug trafficking.

In at least one incident, Ecuadorian authorities said they had found no evidence that a survivor of a U.S. strike had taken part in criminal activity. This incident has raised concerns over the basis for targeting vessels and the treatment of fishermen and other people found aboard the boats.

The Trump administration is also working with allied countries to expand its campaign against criminal groups on land across Latin America. U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow joint U.S. military operations against criminal groups on their territory. Guatemala later denied reaching such an agreement. Ecuador, meanwhile, began similar joint missions with the United States in March.

The sinking of the latest Ecuadorian vessel marks another escalation in the U.S. campaign. With more boats being targeted and questions continuing over the fate of their crews, the operations are likely to remain under scrutiny from Ecuadorian authorities and critics of the U.S. approach.