On August 28, U.S. forces collaborated with Ecuador to sink a vessel in the eastern Pacific suspected of refueling drug-trafficking boats. This operation targeted a vessel previously sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury, confirmed to support the Los Choneros narco-terrorist organization. U.S. Marines and sailors from the USS San Antonio boarded the vessel, safely removed individuals, and subsequently sank it. This action was highlighted by SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan as an example of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition's effectiveness.The coalition, formed in March, is a military partnership aimed at disrupting cartel operations in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. military has intensified its approach, exemplified by prior strikes, including a September 2025 bombing in the Caribbean that killed 11. Over the past year, dozens more vessels have been struck in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. However, this campaign of lethal strikes has drawn scrutiny and criticism, with Senator Tim Kaine raising concerns about potential civilian casualties.A Human Rights Watch report in December described these strikes as "extrajudicial killings." A wrongful death lawsuit was filed in January by families of two missing Trinidadian nationals, alleging they were killed in an October 14 U.S. strike while returning home. The U.S. government has not publicly identified any individuals killed in these boat strikes, adding to the controversy surrounding the operations.