On September 8, a US patrol vessel intercepted the Ecuadorian fishing boat Don Rufo in international waters near the coast of Ecuador. According to the boat’s captain, Mero Calderón, US forces boarded the vessel and subsequently destroyed it. Calderón stated that his crew attempted to demonstrate they were engaged in commercial fishing, but the US personnel did not engage with their explanation before proceeding with the destruction of the craft.

The incident took place just one day prior to a diplomatic visit to Quito by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was meeting with the Ecuadorian president to discuss regional security and peace initiatives. While the US administration has maintained its stance on regional maritime operations, the destruction of the vessel has raised significant humanitarian questions regarding the treatment of civilian fishers in the region. The crew of the Don Rufo were left adrift in the Pacific following the encounter. As of now, the US government has not provided a detailed public justification for the specific decision to destroy this particular vessel, nor have they addressed the claims made by the captain regarding the lack of communication during the interception.