Captain Hernán Flores was fishing with his crew roughly 170 miles from Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands on 17 March when an explosion struck and an unmanned drone hit the cabin of his vessel, igniting flames. His nephew suffered injuries to his face and foot. Some crew searched for an extinguisher as the fire spread, while others jumped into the sea. A broad US military operation that has reportedly killed nearly 200 people in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September 2025 appears to have affected Ecuadorian fishing fleets, leaving eight men missing and feared dead. The Trump administration maintains it played no role in these specific incidents. Flores described the events to the Human Rights Commission while in San Mateo, Ecuador. When the attack occurred, the US Coast Guard cutter Bertholf was in the eastern Pacific and heard a distress call. The Coast Guard coordinated a search and rescue, sending the Bertholf to assist. Flores and his crew sailed their damaged boat eastward seeking help, followed by a small observation plane. After 40 minutes they reached another vessel whose crew pointed guns at them and ordered them to raise their hands. The fishermen were handcuffed, hooded, and held on deck before being transferred the next day to a Salvadorian coastguard ship. They spent eight days sailing to Puerto Unión in El Salvador and were later released without charges, receiving permits to return home. Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are investigating reported encounters between US vessels and fishing boats. The Pentagon and Coast Guard have denied involvement in the Ecuadorian incidents. Southcom stated its forces were not part of the described events and operate under legal authorities. The State Department did not respond to inquiries. Experts note inconsistencies in official accounts. A letter from Democratic representatives questions the Pentagon’s denials and seeks clarification on the missing crew members.
