Key Facts

• The fishermen say the strike hit their boat, La Negra Francesca Duarte II, about 385 nautical miles from Manta, Ecuador, as they returned from a two-week fishing trip.
• The lawsuit says two armed drones set the boat ablaze and seriously burned two crew members.
• The fishermen say they escaped in small boats, were restrained by U.S. military personnel, and were taken to a detention center in El Salvador for several weeks.
• The plaintiffs deny any connection to drug trafficking and say Ecuadorian authorities had inspected the boat and found no drugs or cartel links.
• The strike was part of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign the Trump administration announced in November 2025 to counter alleged narco-terrorists in the Caribbean and Pacific.
• The lawsuit alleges the attack and detention violated U.S. and international law and lacked congressional authorization.
• The fishermen seek unspecified financial compensation and say the loss of their boat has left them unable to work and support their families.
• The Washington Office on Latin America says U.S. military attacks in the campaign have killed as many as 250 people.