Mysterious attacks on Ecuadorian fishing vessels earlier this year were carried out with direct involvement of the CIA, according to a new report. For several months, no agency or government came forward to claim responsibility for the incidents, including one strike in which eight fishermen went missing.
Survivors from the affected crews have stated that the unknown assailants spoke English and deployed drones, and that each attack was preceded by the appearance of an aircraft in the area. On Wednesday, informed sources indicated that the strikes were part of a “covert action” program under a secret overseas operation authorized by the US president, the existence of which is not officially acknowledged.
It remains unclear at this time why those particular vessels were singled out, or what the broader clandestine mission was ultimately meant to accomplish. Reportedly, these three strikes are unrelated to the Trump administration’s much-publicized campaign of lethal operations against so‑called drug vessels in the Caribbean, which left over two hundred people dead.
The Pentagon and the White House have drawn sharp criticism over the legal basis for striking suspected drug‑trafficking groups. Human rights organizations are likening such actions to extrajudicial killings. The Trump administration, for its part, contends that the use of lethal force is justified, arguing that the US is effectively at war with drug cartels.
The eight Ecuadorians who went missing and are presumed dead were aboard the 16‑meter fishing boat Fiorella, which went down in January. All crew members on the vessels Negra Francisca Duarte II and Don Maca, hit in March, survived. Investigators have turned up no evidence that any of the ships were engaged in activities other than fishing.