Ecuadorian Court Acquits 32 Fishermen in US-Involved Drug Trafficking Case
An Ecuadorian judge has acquitted 32 crew members from two vessels that were intercepted and bombed by the United States in the Pacific Ocean. The fishermen were charged with criminal conspiracy, accused of collaborating with drug traffickers. The vessels, Conquista 2 and María Candelaria, were among eight fishing boats sunk by the U.S. military, in cooperation with the Ecuadorian government, between August 28 and September 16. According to the U.S. Southern Command, these boats were allegedly operating as floating refueling stations for speedboats transporting drugs to North America. The crew members were also accused of having ties to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian criminal group associated with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. However, the defense attorney, Juan Alvia, stated that the Prosecutor’s Office failed to present any U.S. reports linking his clients to drug trafficking or fuel smuggling investigations, leading the judge to conclude that no ...
