Strikes on Ecuadorian fishing boats raise humanitarian concerns but Trump admin not wavering

Ecuador’s fishers say U.S. strikes on their boats have destroyed livelihoods, while the Trump administration insists it will not change course. After Secretary of State Marco Rubio was honored in Quito, 10 Ecuadorian crew members from the boat Don Rufo were left adrift in the eastern Pacific following an intercepted operation on Sept. 8 in international waters. The captain, Mero Calderón, alleged U.S. forces boarded armed, handcuffed and blindfolded them, loaded “two huge bombs,” and blew the vessel apart. Another 10 crew members were rescued on Sept. 10. U.S. Southern Command posted an edited 14-second video citing intelligence about drug use, which fishers deny.