Ecuador says US sinkings of vessels were part of joint anti-drug probe

FILE PHOTO: Fishermen return to the ocean after unloading their catch as local fishermen are increasingly being pursued by Ecuadorean gangs to move drugs and for their skills navigating the Pacific waters along Ecuador's coast, which has become a hub for the international smuggling of narcotics over the last half-decade, in Manta, Ecuador, June 4, 2026. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File Photo

QUITO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - ⁠Ecuador defended on Friday U.S. operations that intercepted and sank three Ecuadorean vessels ⁠this week, while relatives of some crew members said the men were fishermen ‌and accused Washington of acting without evidence.

The episode is the latest in a widening U.S. campaign against maritime drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific, one that has drawn criticism from rights groups and concern in Latin ​America over the use of lethal force at sea.