Drones, Drugs, and Danger: Fishermen's Deadly Dilemma

In Ecuador's Manabi province, fishermen face dire circumstances, caught between drug cartels and U.S. military actions. Onshore, powerful cartels like Los Choneros and Los Lobos extort local fishermen, coercing them into smuggling cocaine with lucrative offers or facing threats. Offshore, the U.S. military's Operation Southern Spear has conducted airstrikes on alleged narco-terrorists, destroying 67 vessels and killing over 220 people since September. Three recent attacks on fishing vessels, bearing the hallmarks of U.S. strikes, have raised concerns.

Survivors recount harrowing experiences, including drone attacks and capture by English-speaking armed men, who then transferred them to Salvadoran naval vessels. While the U.S. Southern Command declines comment citing security, security experts suggest U.S. responsibility for these strikes. This maritime counter-narcotics cooperation between the U.S., Ecuador, and El Salvador intensifies, yet the cycle of violence and extortion persists. The fishermen's plight highlights the complex realities of combating drug trafficking at sea.