GuayaquilUS forces sank 5 Ecuadorian boats this month.
Crew members’ families deny any ties to organized crime or trafficking.
Boarding lets Ecuador test drug claims in court — a missile leaves no evidence and no defendant.
The “Shield of the Americas” partnership between Washington and Quito continues with no stated end date.
How each outlet framed it
- InSight Crime leans critical
- cites crew/owner denials of cartel ties, contrasts sinkings with US campaign's lethal missile strikes (227 deaths)
Sources: InSight Crime