Ecuadorian Sailors Demand Justice After Drone Attack & Detention On A ‘Ghost Ship’

Ecuadorian fishermen who survived two attacks in the Pacific Ocean in March are demanding justice from the authorities, including identification of the culprits.

Crew members of the vessels La Negra Francisca Duarte II and Don Maca said they were attacked by explosive drones and were then held hostage by armed foreigners aboard a large blue vessel they referred to as a ‘ghost ship.’

The fishermen still do not know who operated the drones or who owned the ship they were taken to after the explosions.

La Negra Francisca Duarte II captain Hernán Flores said the attack occurred on March 17, after a drone crashed into their vessel and exploded.

After the attack, his nephew, Jordyn Flores, suffered a severe leg injury, while another sailor burnt his back, said the crew’s lawyer, Jorge Chiriboga Dávalos.

According to Herman Flores, all they heard was a powerful blast which left their ears ringing, and then he felt blood running down his body.

A second similar incident occurred on the vessel Don Maca on March 26. One of the crew, Jaime Rubén Cervantes Macías, said that the first explosion threw him onto a diesel tank.

According to the sailors, the drones, the size of a pillow, carrying explosives, attacked their vessel. They had 4 propellers and a tube on the underside.

Detention aboard the blue vessel

After the attacks, the crew abandoned their damaged fishing boats and boarded smaller support vessels. They headed toward the large blue ship, hoping to receive help.

According to the victims, the people aboard initially pointed rifles at them. Eventually, the fishermen were allowed to board because crew members had been injured.

The sailors say they were tied up and interrogated aboard the ship. They described the armed men as tall white men who spoke English, wore brown camouflage uniforms, and carried rifles. Some of them, the fishermen said, wore patches bearing the U.S. flag.

Hernán Flores said the blue vessel resembled a large tuna fishing ship: it had a tall wheelhouse, a crane, and containers at the stern.

A few hours after each incident, the victims claim, they were transferred to an El Salvador coast guard vessel. On March 24, El Salvador’s military confirmed that it had picked up a group of Ecuadorian fishermen at sea, describing them as shipwreck victims.

The sailors were later taken to El Salvador. After checks and medical assistance, they were flown back to Manta.

According to Jorge Chiriboga Dávalos, the vessel La Negra Francisca Duarte II was burning about 170 miles from the Galápagos Islands, within Ecuador’s exclusive economic zone. A NOAA satellite recorded a fire in the area on March 17 at 15:02.

The U.S. Department of Defence has denied involvement in the incidents involving La Negra Francisca Duarte II and Don Maca.

The fishermen insist they were not involved in drug trafficking and do not face any drug-related criminal charges in Ecuador. After the incident, sailors suffered from injuries, sleep disorders, loss of eyesight and an intense fear of the ocean.

Don Maca owner Cristhian Mendoza said the loss of the vessel left his crew without a source of income.

The lawyer for La Negra Francisca Duarte II plans to file a lawsuit in the United States as soon as the individuals responsible for the alleged attacks can be identified.