US Sanctions Fishing Fleet Accused of Shipping Cocaine to Mexico

By Maya Averbuch

Aug 21, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The US Treasury sanctioned a fleet of fishing vessels suspected of smuggling tons of cocaine to Mexico each month, ultimately bound for the US.

The 10 ships and 15 Ecuador-based targets are affiliated with Los Choneros and Los Lobos, two of Ecuador’s most violent cartels, according to the Treasury.

“Operating under the guise of legitimate fishing businesses, a fleet of Ecuador-based vessels near Manta, Ecuador, secretly transfers cocaine to small power boats, known as go-fast vessels,” the Treasury said in its statement.

The cocaine is then smuggled through Mexico by