US alleged to attack Ecuadorian fishing boats, eight crew members missing

Human‑rights organisations Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say United States forces attacked three Ecuadorian fishing vessels – La Negra Francisca Duarte II, Don Maca and Fiorella – between January and March 2026. The reports claim drones and armed U.S. personnel carried out the assaults on the Pacific coast, later handing survivors to the Salvadoran Coast Guard. The Fiorella vanished on 20 January in international waters after leaving Jaramijó; eight of its ten crew members remain missing. The NGOs contend the attacks are linked to the U.S. anti‑drug operation “Southern Spear,” which they say has targeted more than 60 ships and caused over 200 deaths since September 2025. The U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard deny any involvement. HRW and Amnesty have called on the U.S. Congress to investigate the incidents and the broader security relationship between the United States and Ecuador.