‘Handcuffed and blindfolded’: Is the US targeting Ecuadorian fishermen?

What the report says

In a report from Manta, Ecuador, Al Jazeera says an increasing number of Ecuadorian fishermen are accusing US forces of attacking their boats as part of President Donald Trump’s expanded anti-drug campaign at sea. The article centers on Jose Hernan Flores, who says drones struck his vessel, La Negra Francisca Duarte II, in March, injuring two crew members, destroying the boat and leading to his detention before deportation back to Ecuador. Flores and other fishermen say they were handcuffed and blindfolded, while the US military has denied responsibility for the sinking of his boat.

The report places the allegations in a wider pattern of US strikes on small vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, which Washington says are aimed at “narco-terrorism.” It notes Ecuador’s strategic role as a transit point for cocaine between Colombia and Peru, and says the country has become a key partner in the US security effort. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Ecuador is described as part of that push, including a pledge of additional security funding and military equipment for President Daniel Noboa’s government.

Families of missing fishermen also say they have received little information. Al Jazeera highlights the case of the Fiorella, which disappeared near the Galapagos Islands in January, leaving eight crew members unaccounted for. Local fishing leaders warn that many boats are staying in port because crews fear being mistaken for traffickers. A judge in Ecuador recently ordered the release of 28 fishermen for lack of evidence, underscoring questions about the legal basis for some detentions and the broader impact on coastal communities.