Pentagon Denies: Ecuador Fishermen Allege U.S. Drone Attack

An abandoned boat floating on the ocean surface

Thirty-six Ecuadorian fishermen say U.S. drones bombed their boats and American forces held them captive — but the Pentagon says it had nothing to do with it, and the full truth remains murky.

Story Snapshot

Survivors from two separate fishing boats claim U.S. drones attacked them at sea and American forces detained them for days.
The Pentagon denies any role in sinking the vessels or holding the crews prisoner.
Ecuadorian authorities blamed a welding fire for destroying dozens of boats at the port of Manta — not a military strike.
One missing boat and its 20-man crew were found alive in El Salvador, showing signs of physical injury.

What the Fishermen Say Happened

Thirty-six survivors from two Ecuadorian fishing boats have told reporters a disturbing story. They say American aircraft — including drones and a blue patrol ship — attacked their vessels at sea. According to the survivors, U.S. forces then handcuffed them, put hoods over their heads, and held them on a scorching metal ship deck for eight days. Several men reportedly suffered vision loss, hearing damage, bruised limbs, and puncture wounds by the time they were found.

One of the boats, the Don Maca, left the port of Manta on March 18 and went silent on March 26. The crew of 20 was found roughly 700 miles from home, in waters off El Salvador. Their lawyer confirmed the men were alive and in the care of Salvadoran officials. The second vessel, La Negra Francisca Duarte II, reportedly fits a similar pattern. Survivors from both boats gave nearly identical accounts of what they say happened to them.

The Pentagon Says No — Officials Blame a Fire

The Pentagon flatly denies any involvement in sinking the boats or detaining the crews. U.S. officials say no matching strike records exist. Ecuadorian police and fire authorities back that up — they say a fire started during welding work at the Manta fishing port and quickly spread through the tightly packed fiberglass and wood boats. Officials ruled out criminal groups and said there was no sign of an outside attack. Reports on how many boats burned range from eight to more than 35.

The official story and the survivors’ story do not match at all. No bomb fragments, bullet holes, or blast damage have been reported in any official investigation. The survivors’ accounts come from interviews given after the fact, with no radar data, ship logs, or independent witnesses from the moment of the alleged attack. That gap in hard evidence makes it very difficult to verify the fishermen’s claims — or to fully dismiss them.

Why This Story Is Hard to Ignore

This is not the first time questions like these have come up in the Pacific. In 2025, the U.S. military carried out strikes on Venezuelan boats under President Trump’s orders, saying the targets were drug traffickers. Critics say that history makes the Ecuadorian fishermen’s story more believable. A report from Drop Site News also points to a 2007 ban tied to earlier incidents of U.S. military activity near Ecuador’s Manta port, though that claim has not been independently confirmed.

#Ecuador(June 6) A massive fire tore through Ecuador’s major fishing port of Manta this Saturday, destroying at least eight vessels and eighteen smaller boats. Witnesses reported hearing multiple explosions before flames rapidly spread through the harbor pic.twitter.com/kmkR2HEebp

— Ian Collins (@Ian_Collins_03) June 12, 2026

The core problem here is a lack of verifiable proof on both sides. Survivors have injuries and consistent stories. The U.S. government has a flat denial. Ecuador’s government has an official fire report. No independent forensic team has examined the Don Maca’s wreckage for explosive residue. No military flight logs or drone records have been released. Until that kind of hard evidence surfaces, this story stays exactly where it is — a serious accusation with no definitive answer. Americans deserve transparency, and so do the fishermen’s families.