US Airstrikes And Cartel Extortion Push Ecuador Fishermen Out Of Their Livelihoods

Fishermen in Ecuador's coastal province of Manabi are facing growing risks from both drug cartels and US-led maritime counter-narcotics operations, according to accounts gathered by Reuters. Small fishing communities such as San Mateo and Jaramijo have become part of a major cocaine-trafficking corridor, with criminal groups allegedly forcing fishermen to pay extortion fees or transport drugs. At the same time, some fishermen have been caught up in attacks on vessels suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

According to Reuters interviews and accounts collected by Ecuador's Permanent Committee on Human Rights, two fishing boats from Manabi were struck in separate incidents that survivors and security experts attributed to US forces. One such incident involved the Negra Francisca Duarte II, whose 16-member crew was at sea on March 17 when survivors reported hearing a drone before a strike hit the vessel. Several fishermen were forced into the water before being taken aboard another vessel by armed, English-speaking men in military-style uniforms.

The fishermen were later transferred to a Salvadoran navy vessel, treated and eventually returned to Ecuador, according to survivors and the rights group. A similar incident reportedly occurred nine days later involving the Don Maca. At least eight fishermen from another Manabi vessel, the Fiorella, have been missing since January. The US Southern Command declined to comment on the reported strikes, citing operational security and force protection concerns, while Ecuador's military described information about drug-enforcement operations as classified.

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Fishermen in Manabi also face pressure from criminal organizations operating along the coast. Ecuadorian authorities and residents have reported the expansion of Los Choneros and Los Lobos, which have been accused of recruiting fishermen for drug-smuggling operations. Local fishermen told Reuters that those refusing to cooperate can face extortion demands of about $1,200 per fishing trip, while those willing to transport cocaine can reportedly be offered tens of thousands of dollars. Ecuadorian police acknowledged that some fishermen are forced into such activities and face risks from both law enforcement and criminal groups.

The United States, Ecuador and El Salvador have increased maritime counter-narcotics cooperation in the eastern Pacific, including intelligence-sharing, surveillance and coordinated interdictions. US officials have defended the operations as necessary to disrupt cocaine trafficking, while the US Coast Guard reported major drug seizures and arrests during the campaign. However, former US Drug Enforcement Administration official Mike Vigil and other security experts told Reuters that the reported attacks on the Manabi fishing boats were highly likely to have involved US forces based on survivor accounts, the vessels' locations and the capabilities involved.

Experts and local residents have questioned whether military operations alone can address the wider problem. Michelle Maffei, an organised-crime expert at the University of Guayaquil, noted that most cocaine shipments continue to move through major commercial ports despite the increased use of small boats. The combination of poverty, extortion and recruitment has left some fishermen reluctant to return to sea. One survivor of the March attack told Reuters that he remained too shaken to resume fishing, reflecting the uncertainty faced by coastal communities caught between criminal groups and increasingly aggressive anti-drug operations.

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