Lawyers ask ‘where’s the evidence?’ as government plans trials of crew members of bombed fishing boats

The government announced this week it will proceed with trials against 88 crew members of five fishing vessels bombed by U.S. Marines in the Pacific Ocean. Prosecutors are charging the men with illicit association for alleged collaboration with drug trafficking.

The families of crew members of ships destroyed by the U.S. were welcomed home at the port of Manta.

Three trials have been scheduled despite claims by defense attorneys that the state has presented no “solid evidence” against the defendants. The defense also questions the plan to prosecute all 88 men under the same charge.

All defendants were released by judges at initial hearings in September, as judges agreed with the defense that prosecutors had failed to provide convincing reasons that the men should be incarcerated while they await trial.

The 88 were crew members on five fishing boats detained and then destroyed by U.S. Marines as part of U.S. Southern Command’s anti-drug mission. U.S. authorities claim the boats were serving as “floating refueling stations” for drug boats heading to Central and North America. The U.S. said the boat owners and crew were assisting the Los Choneros criminal gang and the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

In total, eight vessels were destroyed by the U.S. from August 28 and September 16 but, to date, prosecutors have not charged the crew of three of the boats. In all cases, the crews were removed from the boats before the boats were destroyed by explosives.

Juan Alvia, lawyer for crew members of the “Karla Franccesca”, questioned why prosecutors are treating the crews of three boats differently. “I don’t understand why some of the fisherman face charges while others don’t,” he said. “There is no solid evidence connecting any of the fishermen to a crime,” he said, adding that the defendants he represents are being “revictimized following their nightmare at sea.”

Alvia believes there is strong government pressure for convictions. “They want to please the U.S. military and Donald Trump even though they don’t have evidence,” he said. “I worry the government will intimidate the judges to get the verdicts they want.”

Karla Delgado, attorney for the crew of the “Siempre Don Carlos,” agrees and says prosecutors she had talked to admit they don’t have evidence for a conviction. “They tell me that most of the evidence against the fishermen is classified by the U.S. government and can’t be revealed at trial,” she said. “Except for the push from [President] Noboa and his cronies, these cases would be dismissed and there would be no trials.”