Relatives of detained crew say US forces acted without evidence, claiming the men were fishermen, not smugglers.

Ecuador has defended a US operation this week that sank three vessels accused of sustaining drug-trafficking operations in the Eastern Pacific.

Ecuador’s government said on Friday the interception and sinking of the Ecuadorian vessels were part of joint investigations ⁠with Washington targeting drug-smuggling activities linked to criminal gangs.

Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg told broadcaster Teleamazonas the vessels were refueling points for speedboats that move drugs north towards Mexico and the United States.

“This is ⁠work carried out through international cooperation,” Reimberg said.

The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reiterated Reimberg’s claim, saying it “successfully interdicted a vessel operating as a floating refueling station in support of illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations”, linked to the Los Choneros gang.

“Individuals removed from the vessel will be safely transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. Once cleared, U.S. forces sank the vessel,” SOUTHCOM posted on X on Thursday.

A video accompanying SOUTHCOM’s post showed US forces approaching and boarding a vessel before it was blown up at sea. The time and location of the video have not been independently verified.

Relatives of some crew members accused the US military of acting without evidence and said the men on the boats were fishermen. The wife of one crew member told the Reuters news agency in a phone interview that the men had been fishing when US forces boarded and that no drugs were found. Her account has not been independently verified.

The Ecuadorian navy said that it received 28 crew members from that vessel and another boat that was sunk on Wednesday and that they arrived in Manta, the country’s main fishing port, on board a local coastguard vessel.

On Friday, a group of people waited for news of their relatives who, they said, were traveling on the boats targeted in the past two days, the AFP news agency reported.

The incidents are the latest in the Trump administration’s campaign against maritime drug trafficking that has drawn concern in Latin America over the use of air attacks and lethal force on international waters.

SOUTHCOM confirmed a previous attack on a “low-profile” vessel that killed two people on August 23. Another US strike killed four people two days later. No victims were identified in either attack.

Trump has claimed the US is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug-trafficking organisations in an unreleased memo obtained by US media.