The United States has sanctioned 15 Ecuador-based people and entities and blocked 10 fishing vessels accused of helping move thousands of kilograms of cocaine each month from South America through Mexico to the United States.
The U.S. Treasury Department said the network used fishing businesses near Manta, Ecuador, as a cover for drug trafficking.
The vessels allegedly transferred cocaine to small speedboats, known as go-fast boats, which then travelled north through the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The network is linked to Los Choneros and Los Lobos, two Ecuadorian groups that the United States has designated as Foreign Terrorist Organisations.
Treasury said the drugs are later moved through Mexico by the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), which are also designated as FTOs by the United States.
The United States has increased efforts to stop cocaine shipments in the Eastern Pacific, a major route for drugs moving from South and Central America through Mexico toward the United
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