Navy rescues ship’s crew following U.S. bombing; U.S. expat arrested for growing pot; New power lines will connect Ecuador and Peru; Mazar water level drops

The Ecuadorian Navy rescued 10 crew members of the Don Rufo fishing vessel Thursday and returned them to Manta. The men had been adrift at sea in lifeboats for two days following the U.S. bombing of the Don Rufo.

In a press release, the U.S. Southern Command said the Don Rufo was destroyed because it served as a refueling station for other boats transporting cocaine to Central America. The command claimed the vessel was operating under the direction of the Los Choneros criminal gang, adding that crew members were not harmed in the operation.

Ten crew members of a fishing ship destroyed by the U.S. were rescued Thursday by the Ecuadorian Navy. The men were adrift at sea for two days.

Speaking anonymously, two of the crew members said that auxiliary diesel tank on the Don Rufo was necessary for operational purposes. “On most fishing trips we travel 2,000 kilometers and the second tank is required for our own refueling,” one man said. “We explained this to the U.S. soldiers, but they did not listen and blew up the ship.”

A Manta judge released the crew members following their return, saying that neither the Ecuadorian Navy or the Southern Command provided evidence against them.

New power lines will connect Ecuador and Peru
Ecuador’s Environment and Energy Ministry granted an environmental license for construction of new electrical transmission lines connecting Ecuador and Peru. The lines will allow a maximum of 500 megawatts of electricity to be transferred between the two countries, the ministry said.

“The inter-connection will provide emergency relief for both Ecuador and Peru in times of electrical shortages, strengthening the power grid in both countries,” the ministry said.

The project includes the construction of 285 kilometers of transmission lines and will connect the Chorrillos substation, located near Guayaquil, with the Pasaje substation and continue across the Peruvian border.

The project will be completed in 2029, the ministry said.

U.S. expat arrested for growing pot
A U.S. citizen was arrested Tuesday on charges of cultivating and selling marijuana in what police described as a “large-scale illicit drug operation.” According to police, Caleb Eugene B., alias “El Gringo,” grew, cured, packaged and sold marijuana from a facility in Baños parish, on the Soldados road.

Following the arrest the Azuay Anti-Drug Investigation Center said Caleb Eugene B. belonged to an “organized crime group that distributed illegal drugs in Cuenca and the surrounding area.”

During the bust, police destroyed marijuana plants in the suspect’s green house and confiscated packaged marijuana, cash, cell phones and a laptop computer.

Police said that Caleb Eugene B. did not have a valid Ecuadorian visa.

Mazar water level drops
The water level at the Mazar hydroelectric reservoir stood at 2,143 feet above sea level early Friday and meteorologists predicted that dry conditions will maintain the reservoir’s downward trend. The reservoir was at maximum capacity of 2,153 meters above sea level a month ago, on August 9.

The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (Inamhi) reported Thursday that August’s rainfall was below normal and they expect the drought to continue and intensify as a result of El Niño. “There have been a number of small rain showers in August and early September but these have not been sufficient to recharge the watershed that provides waterflow to the Mazar reservoir,” Inamhi said in a bulletin.

Because of El Niño, Inamhi says drought conditions could continue until March 2027.

Public electric utility company Cenace reports that Colombia’s decision to reduce sales of electricity to Ecuador is one of the reasons for the rapid drop in the Mazar Reservoir water level. Cenace says the reduction means more power generation is required from the Mazar complex.