Ecuador Judge Acquits 32 Fishermen in US Boat Case

ECUADOR · SECURITY

The first verdict in Ecuador’s cases over the US sinking of eight fishing boats found no proof of a crime.

An Ecuadorian judge on Wednesday, 7 October, acquitted 32 Ecuadorian fishermen whose boats US forces sank in the Pacific. Their lawyer said the judge found no proof that the crews had helped drug traffickers.

It is Ecuador’s first verdict over a US naval campaign against Los Choneros, a gang Washington lists as terrorist. For US readers, it tests the evidence behind joint operations that Secretary of State Marco Rubio says will continue.

What the Judge Decided

The verdict clears eight crew members of the Conquista II and 24 of the María Candelaria, Primicias reported. Prosecutors had charged them with unlawful association, which carries three to five years in prison under Ecuador’s penal code.

Defence lawyer Juan Alvia said the judge reviewed the prosecution’s evidence and found no crime. “It could not be proven that these vessels and this crew had committed any unlawful act,” he said, according to Expreso.

Alvia said prosecutors never presented a US report linking the men to drug or fuel trafficking, Primicias reported. The ruling is a first-instance decision and can still be appealed.

He said he expected no appeal from prosecutors, given the lack of physical evidence, according to El Diario, a Manabí newspaper.

How the US Operations Unfolded

US forces destroyed eight Ecuadorian fishing vessels between 28 August and 16 September, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on 2 October. The Conquista II was destroyed on 2 September and the María Candelaria on 5 September, according to Primicias.

US Southern Command, which runs US military operations in Latin America, said the boats were floating fuel stations for drug speedboats. It said intelligence tied them to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian gang.

The State Department designated Los Choneros a foreign terrorist organisation in September 2025 and links it to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. Its leader, known as Fito Macías, was extradited to the United States in July 2025.

US forces removed the crews before sinking the boats and handed them to Ecuador, Primicias reported.

HRW reviewed police files on 74 detained crew members, which say the navy landed them as “shipwreck survivors.” Police nevertheless booked them as caught in the act.

A Pattern in Ecuador’s Courts

The acquittal follows earlier setbacks for prosecutors. On 5 September, a judge in the port city of Manta ruled the arrest of 28 other crew members unlawful.

On 10 September, a judge in the Galápagos Islands freed 28 more without charge, HRW said. Of 160 crew, it counted 90 charged, 56 freed after unlawful arrests and 14 never brought before a judge.

Defence lawyers told HRW that Ecuadorian police and navy officials acknowledged in court that US forces provided no evidence of a crime. Some crew members told HRW they were struck and threatened aboard the USS San Antonio, a US Navy ship.

HRW said it asked Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office and Southern Command for comment but received no reply. It said neither government has publicly disclosed compelling evidence against individual crew members.

What It Means for You

For US readers, the verdict weakens the public case for a naval campaign Washington runs with Quito’s consent. In Quito on 9 September, Rubio said the US goal “is not to go after fishermen” but drug traffickers.

He also said joint operations in partner countries’ waters must follow those countries’ laws and systems. In the case of these Ecuadorian fishermen, an Ecuadorian court has now found that prosecutors could not prove a crime.

HRW has already urged both governments to disclose the legal basis for the operations. The acquitted crew are weighing legal action over their destroyed boats and their detention, El Diario reported.

Background: SouthCom Ecuador: A Fifth Boat Sunk, and Nobody Killed. Also: Ecuador Gave Marco Rubio a Medal as US Boat Strikes Keep Hitting Its Fishermen.

What Is Not Known

The written ruling and the judge’s name have not been published. Prosecutors have not said publicly whether they will appeal.

Southern Command has not released the evidence behind its claims about the two boats. HRW and an El Diario preview said 34 crew faced trial, including 26 from the María Candelaria.

Reports of the verdict count 24 acquitted from that boat, as Primicias did after the 8 September hearing. What happened to the other two has not been reported.

What Comes Next

A second trial, for 46 crew members, is due to open on Thursday, 8 October, El Diario reported. A third, for 10 crew members, has been moved to 20 October, Primicias said.

The verdict does not rule on whether the US operations were lawful. It decides only that prosecutors failed to prove the Ecuadorian charge against these 32 Ecuadorian fishermen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the acquitted Ecuadorian fishermen?

They are 32 crew members of two fishing boats from Manta, in Ecuador’s Manabí province. Eight sailed on the Conquista II and 24 on the María Candelaria.

Why did US forces sink their boats?

US Southern Command said the boats served as floating fuel stations for drug speedboats linked to Los Choneros. The crews deny it, and the judge found no proof of a crime.

Does the verdict mean the US acted illegally?

No. The court ruled only that prosecutors failed to prove an Ecuadorian charge of unlawful association.

Can the ruling be appealed?

Yes, it is a first-instance decision. The defence lawyer said he did not expect prosecutors to appeal.

Will US operations off Ecuador continue?

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Quito in September that they will continue as joint operations. He said the goal is drug traffickers, not fishermen.

Sources: US Embassy Quito (Rubio remarks, 9 September); US State Department (Los Choneros designation); Human Rights Watch; Primicias (verdict); Expreso; El Diario; El Diario (6 October preview); Vistazo (María Candelaria interception); Primicias (charges); Primicias (Southern Command statement) (all accessed 8 October 2026).