00:00Ecuador Attorney Jorge Chiriboga denounced the alleged illegal entry of U.S. Coast Guard
00:06vessels into Ecuadorian waters following the release of a video showing their boarding
00:11of the Manta-based fishing vessel Volga 2.
00:14According to the complaint, the incident occurred on March 17, 2026, when the crew members were
00:20allegedly detained for nearly 20 hours and subjected to armed searches and interrogations
00:25on suspicion of drug trafficking.
00:27The audiovisual footage, which shows personnel in uniform of the U.S. Coast Guard, was obtained
00:33by Dropside News, while official U.S. records did not report any detentions of Ecuadorian
00:38vessels during this period.
00:40In light of this situation, the affected parties and their legal counsel are demanding formal
00:45responses from the Port Authority of Manta, the Ecuadorian Navy and the Ministry of Foreign
00:50Affairs.
01:01Security and organized crime expert Renato Rivera questioned the figures presented by Ecuador's
01:07President Daniel Doboa to the Organization of American States regarding the number of members
01:12of criminal groups in the country.
01:14Rivera stated that there is currently no technical methodology that allows for an accurate calculation
01:20of how many people belong to these organizations, and therefore considered that the figure of
01:2580,000 armed members would lack verifiable support.
01:29The specialist compared these statements to studies conducted in Colombia on armed groups and noted
01:35that even in scenarios of prolonged conflict, the reported figures are lower.
01:40Furthermore, he warned that this type of estimate could reinforce the official narrative on insecurity
01:46and serve as a justification for type of security measures.
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