Mysterious bomb-dropping drones sank fishing boats, survivors say. Who was behind the attacks?

In a developing story, multiple Ecuadorian fishing boats near the Galápagos Islands have reportedly been targeted and sunk by mysterious bomb-dropping drones earlier this year, leaving survivors with accounts of harrowing attacks and subsequent detention. Fishermen described small quadcopter drones striking their vessels with munitions or detonating upon impact, causing explosions and fires that forced them to abandon ship. One boat, the Fiorella, disappeared in January with its eight crew members, who are now presumed dead.

Survivors of other attacks in March recounted being rescued by a "blue boat," where armed, English-speaking men allegedly handcuffed, hooded, and held them at gunpoint before transferring them to Salvadoran patrol boats. These fishermen were then taken to El Salvador and later returned to Ecuador without explanation. US authorities initially denied involvement in these incidents.

However, recent reports from The Washington Post, citing an anonymous source, indicate that these mysterious strikes were part of a covert Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program. This secret operation is reportedly distinct from the Pentagon's publicly acknowledged campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats, adding a new dimension to US anti-drug efforts in the region. There has been no public evidence presented to suggest the attacked fishing crews were involved in drug trafficking.