The U.S. Southern Command said on Monday (September 7) that Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere forces interdicted a floating refuelling station supporting illicit at-sea drug trafficking operations in the eastern Pacific on September 7.

The Southern Command said in an X post that individuals that were removed from the vessel would be transferred to Ecuadorian authorities, and U.S. forces sank it after clearing the vessel and disembarking the crew.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the location and date when the video was filmed. No older versions of the footage were found posted online before September 7.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER AND SPEEDBOAT APPROACHING VESSEL

2. VARIOUS OF OPERATIVES ON SPEEDBOAT BOARDING VESSEL

3. SPEEDBOAT MOVING AWAY FROM VESSEL

4. VESSEL BLOWING UP

5. VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING FROM BLOWN-UP VESSEL