Covert CIA Strikes Target Ecuadorian Fishing Boats Near the Galápagos

In a series of incidents earlier this year, Ecuadorian fishing boats operating near the Galápagos Islands were attacked by small quadcopter drones that either dropped munitions or collided with the vessels. Survivors of a March attack reported being forced onto a nearby vessel, hooded, handcuffed, and taken to El Salvador before being returned to Ecuador without explanation. The reporting attributes these strikes to a covert Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation distinct from the U.S. Department of Defense’s publicly acknowledged anti-drug bombing campaign.

Common Dreams

The Department of Defense launched an overt bombing campaign against vessels it deemed involved in drug trafficking in September 2025. That operation has, according to available data, resulted in at least 220 deaths. The Galápagos archipelago has increasingly been identified as a transit point for narcotics, with local fishermen sometimes employed to transport fuel to smugglers heading to the United States.

Common Dreams

Amnesty International’s investigation into the disappearance of the Ecuadorian fishing boat Fiorella—which vanished on January 20—found that, in the days preceding the loss, the vessel was allegedly monitored by aircraft, patrol boats, and drones bearing United States markings. The captain’s satellite messages expressed growing concern over the surveillance. Two crew members who left the boat earlier that day reported seeing a large column of smoke nearby, though they could not confirm its source. A separate report from a major newspaper presented evidence that the covert strikes originated in the United States, though it did not name the specific agency.

Common Dreams

Former U.S. officials with experience in Latin America, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed bewilderment at the need for a secretive CIA boat-strike campaign, questioning its purpose and secrecy. Human-rights organizations and international-law experts have described both the covert strikes and the overt bombing campaign as acts of murder, noting the absence of publicly available evidence linking the targeted crews to drug trafficking.

Common Dreams

While the DoD campaign’s death toll stands at a minimum of 220, the number of casualties resulting from the covert CIA strikes remains unclear. Survivors’ accounts suggest at least several vessels were disabled, but no official accounting has been released. The lack of transparent evidence, combined with allegations of U.S. surveillance and the disappearance of the Fiorella, leaves significant gaps in understanding the full scope and legal justification of these operations.

Common Dreams