Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report [8] on July 21 detailing four attacks on Ecuadorian persons, properties and vessels that they attribute to an intensified counter-narcotics campaign led by the US with the partnership of the Ecuadorian government.
The first attack took place in March on the farming community of San Martín [9], Sucumbíos province, and was confirmed by the US government as a partnered military operation. The remaining three incidents took place at sea, off Ecuador's Pacific coast. They are the January disappearance of the Fiorella [10], an Ecuadorian fishing vessel, and March drone attacks on two other fishing vessels, La Negra Francisco Duarte II and the Don Maca [11]. The US has denied responsibility [12] in these maritime strikes.
In the March 3 operation at San Martín, Ecuadorian soldiers detained and tortured four men, burned three properties, and struck two of the three burned properties with air-dropped munitions. The detained men were transported to a military facility, but eventually released when a prosecutor refused to charge them.
The Ecuadorian and US governments categorized the San Martín incident as a successful military operation, named Operation Total Extermination [14] against the Comandos de la Frontera (CDF [15]) drug trafficking group. The target of the operation was reported to be a CDF leader who goes by the alias "Mono Tole." Secretary of "War" (Defense) Pete Hegseth celebrated [16] the "bombing [of] Narco terrorists on land."
The Fiorella incident took place on January 20, and resulted in eight of its 10 crew members going missing. After setting sail from the port of Jaramijó in Ecuador on Jan. 13, the vessel entered international waters, where it was reportedly monitored and patrolled by aircraft, boats and drones bearing US insignia. On Jan. 20, one of the vessel’s two skiffs were put to sea, and soon heard cries of distress from the Fiorella crew over the radio before losing all communication, and then saw a large column of smoke coming from the vessel's direction. That was the last news heard of the Fiorella.
La Negra Francisco Duarte II and Don Maca crew members report being struck by a drone on March 17, then being hooded and handcuffed by boats bearing indications of US origin. The presumed US forces subsequently transferred the crew members to Salvadorian custody.
The US has denied [17] involvement in the three fishing vessel incidents, despite their similarity to Operation Southern Spear [18] missions. Southern Spear is the US Department of Defense (DoD) operation that utilizes lethal air-strikes against small boats [19] suspected of smuggling illegal narcotics in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Ecuador has echoed Washington’s hardline anti-narcotic stance, with President Daniel Noboa’s administration implementing a new “Security Bloc” campaign, led by Minister of National Defense Gian Carlo Loffredo and the chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, Henry Delgado Salvador. The administration has pledged to direct more efforts to eradicate criminal activity [20] in the region.
From JURIST [21], July 22. Used with permission. Internal links added.
