Ecuador Judge Acquits 32 Crew Members of Bombed Boats
Were these poor fishermen scapegoated for a tough-on-crime image or do drug cartels use fishing boats?
Above: Relatives of crew members wait for news at the harbor captaincy in Manta on Sept. 3. Image credit: Ariel Ochoa/AFP/Getty Images
The Facts
- A judge in Ecuador acquitted on Wednesday 32 crew members of two vessels that U.S. forces intercepted and sank last month in the Pacific Ocean, the Conquista 2 and the María Candelaria, of allegations of collaboration with the U.S.- designated terrorist group Los Choneros to transport drugs to North America.
- The judge found that the prosecution failed to present evidence that these vessels and their crews committed any illegal acts. No U.S. document or report linking the men to drug or fuel trafficking was presented.
- U.S. Marines and sailors, launched from the amphibious ship USS San Antonio (LPD-17), interdicted the Conquista 2 in international waters on Sept. 2, safely transferring the crew to Ecuadorian authorities before sinking the vessel.
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The Spin
Government-critical narrative
Calling poor fishermen narcos is a convenient way to pad a tough-on-crime image, and the courts just exposed how empty that story was. Lethal strikes and detentions demand accountability from the officials who ordered them. Due process isn't optional just because a government wants headlines.
Pro-government narrative
Acquittals don’t undo the threat: transnational cartels do use fishing boats as floating fuel depots for drug runs. The fact that Ecuadorian courts operate independently proves the country's institutions are functional, but military pressure must continue to keep these networks from regrouping.
