U.S.–Ecuador Anti-Drug Operation Leaves Dozens of Fishermen Accounted For and Others Missing at Sea
A U.S.–Ecuador operation that intercepted the Ecuadorian vessels Conquista 2 and OM2 on suspicion of supplying drug‑running ships has left 28 crew members en route back to Manta while families say at least 15 people from one boat and 22 from the other remain missing after an airstrike.
A joint U.S.–Ecuador anti‑drug operation in the eastern Pacific has ended with two Ecuadorian boats destroyed, some crew members under naval control, and dozens of relatives on shore searching for missing family members.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said that, on 3 September, and acting on orders from its commander General Francis L. Donovan, the Joint Task Force Hemisferio Occidental (JTF‑WHEM) intercepted a vessel that U.S. intelligence assessed was operating as a refueling platform for ships linked to narcotrafficking. The operation was carried out in coordination with the government of Ecuador, and SOUTHCOM reported that forces aboard the USS San Antonio took part.
Ecuador’s navy later announced that nine crew members from the vessel Conquista 2 and 19 from OM2 would be transported to the port of Manta. The navy and U.S. officials have presented these actions as part of broader maritime operations against drug trafficking networks, including those tied to the criminal group Los Choneros.
At the same time, families in Manta say they have lost contact with many of the men who went to sea. Relatives of 15 people described as fishermen from Conquista 2 report that the boat sailed from Manta with 17 people on board. During a video call, the captain, Eduardo Holguín, showed his wife a low‑flying aircraft and another vessel nearby; contact then ceased, and the families say they do not know what happened next.
The situation surrounding OM2 is even more opaque. Reports citing video evidence say that U.S. naval personnel carried out an airstrike on the OM2, a boat from the Manabí region, in Ecuadorian waters on Thursday 3 September 2026. One account states that the crew of 22 fishermen has not been located since the strike, raising fears among relatives that their family members disappeared during the operation.
In parallel, U.S. and Ecuadorian announcements describe an interdiction in which crew members from a vessel linked to Los Choneros were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities and the boat was then sunk. The same maritime environment now includes both this officially acknowledged interdiction and the reported bombing of OM2, complicating the task of tracking who was on which vessel and where they were taken.
For coastal communities around Manta, the outcome is a mix of visible returns and unresolved disappearances. On one side, 28 crew members are being brought back under navy control. On the other, families say at least 15 people from Conquista 2 and 22 from OM2 are missing, and they question whether their relatives are being accurately identified as traffickers or caught up in anti‑drug operations because of where and how they fish.
Strategically, the episode shows that U.S. and Ecuadorian forces are willing to intercept and destroy vessels at sea based on intelligence linking them to narcotrafficking, including alleged support roles such as refueling. That approach aims to disrupt supply chains for groups like Los Choneros but also increases the risks for civilian crews operating in the same waters.
Key signals to watch now include any joint U.S.–Ecuador statements clarifying the status and identities of all intercepted crew members, the publication of findings on the airstrike against OM2, and whether Ecuador’s government adjusts its cooperation with SOUTHCOM in response to pressure from families of the missing.
Sources
- OSINT