U.S. Forces Interdict, Destroy Sixth Suspected Narco Refueling Station
U.S. forces with Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere interdicted a floating refueling station suspected of supporting at-sea drug trafficking on Tuesday in the Eastern Pacific, U.S. Southern Command announced. Sailors and Marines removed individuals on board the vessel. The removed individuals will be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. After removing the crew, U.S. forces sank the floating refueling station. Tuesday’s interdiction marks the sixth in recent weeks. The stations were allegedly involved with Los Choneros, an organized crime syndicate based in Ecuador, according to the SOUTHCOM posts. “We are exerting unrelenting pressure on these narco-terrorists and hurting them where it counts:
U.S. forces interdict and destroy the sixth suspected narco refueling station on Sept. 15, 2026. US Southern Command image U.S. forces with Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere interdicted a floating refueling station suspected of supporting at-sea drug trafficking on Tuesday in the Eastern Pacific, U.S. Southern Command announced.
Sailors and Marines removed individuals on board the vessel. The removed individuals will be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. After removing the crew, U.S. forces sank the floating refueling station.
Tuesday’s interdiction marks the sixth in recent weeks. The stations were allegedly involved with Los Choneros, an organized crime syndicate based in Ecuador, according to the SOUTHCOM posts.
“We are exerting unrelenting pressure on these narco-terrorists and hurting them where it counts: dismantling their intricate networks, disrupting their sophisticated logistics, and dealing a blow to their finances. This is what total systemic friction looks like,” SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan said in the X post.
The interdictions and sinking of the refueling stations are being carried out in coordination with the Ecuadorian government.
Tuesday’s interdiction comes one year into Operation Southern Spear’s lethal campaign against suspected narco boats.
A Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced), Littoral Combat Force-24, flies over a Maritime Interdiction Operation while in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 7, 2026. US Navy photo As of Monday, USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and USS Gridley (DDG-101) were underway in the Southern Pacific, operating off Ecuador, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. Littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS-15) was operating in the Central Caribbean Sea.
Elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are embarked on the warships. The 24th MEU is operating in the region as Littoral Combat Force 24 and is spread throughout the region, including aboard USS San Antonio (LPD-17) in the Southern Pacific.
