U.S. Forces Take Action Against Drug Trafficking Operations

The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported that on Monday, forces intercepted and destroyed a floating refueling station linked to illegal drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.

According to SOUTHCOM, this operation was executed by the Joint Task Force – Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM), which acted on intelligence indicating the vessel’s connection to the Los Choneros, a violent narco-terrorist group.

The statement mentioned, “Individuals removed from the vessel will be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. After clearing the vessel and disembarking the crew, U.S. forces sank it.”

JTF-WHEM is a relatively new command, established by SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan in August 2026. Its purpose is to counter threats, enhance regional security, and respond quickly to crises across the Western Hemisphere.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin Jarrard is the inaugural commander of JTF-WHEM. Before this role, he oversaw disaster relief efforts following a significant earthquake in Venezuela in June 2026.

This joint task force was envisioned as a larger, multinational successor to Operation Southern Spear, which began in January 2025 as a maritime drug interdiction initiative and transformed into a joint task force operation by November 2025.

Los Choneros is an organized crime group from Ecuador that emerged as a local threat in the 1990s, taking its name from the town of Chone in Manabi province, where it originated.

After a crackdown in 2011 led to the arrest of its top leaders, the gang continued to flourish from behind bars, recruiting smaller factions and expanding into a transnational criminal network.

This gang is notorious for its brutal violence against rival groups and fierce internal conflicts for power, especially after its leaders are taken down. In September 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Los Choneros as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Rubio pointed out that both Los Choneros and another gang, Los Lobos, are intent on dominating drug trafficking routes in Ecuador through terror and extreme violence against the local populace.

Both gangs have significantly increased their influence and resources by allying with other cartels. Notably, Los Choneros has turned into the logistical arm for Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa Cartel.

On Monday, this latest operation marked the fifth such interception of a refueling vessel used by Los Choneros in the Eastern Pacific within the past two months.

Gen. Donovan remarked last week, “We are taking decisive action to dismantle and destroy sophisticated logistics networks used by narco-terrorists to traffic drugs and spread violence throughout the Western Hemisphere.”