Below are some resources to get caught up.

Since fall 2025, the Trump administration has carried out a widely condemned campaign of strikes against boats in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that it claims are involved in drug trafficking. To date, the Pentagon claims to have killed more than 200 people in extrajudicial killings.

Around the same time, it was reported that U.S. attack aircraft were being stationed in El Salvador, with analysts noting that this is likely the first time that a foreign country in the region hosts U.S. aircraft for potential combat operations. El Salvador was one of the first countries to join the “Shield of the America,” a new military alliance among right-wing governments in the hemisphere.

Since January 2026,  Ecuadorian fishing boats have been attacked in at least three separate incidents near the Galápagos Islands; although no government has claimed responsibility for the attacks, the Washington Post reports the possibility of it being the product of a covert CIA program. Survivors describe drone attacks, detention by armed, English-speaking personnel, and being taken to El Salvador before eventually being returned to Ecuador. Recent reporting has also linked surveillance flights from Ilopango Airport to the attacks.

CISPES is coordinating with national and international human rights and foreign policy organizations to continue to demand answers, to stop the strikes and to halt U.S. military and police to El Salvador, among other urgent demands. Stay tuned for calls to action and in the meantime, here are some key resources:

The New York Times | August 12, 2026
They Spoke English, Wore U.S. Flags and Attacked Fishermen. Who Were They?
The Times describes the attacks on three Ecuadorian fishing boats near the Galápagos Islands, which survivors say involved drone strikes and detention by armed, English-speaking personnel. Unlike other boat attacks publicly claimed by the Pentagon, these incidents remain officially unclaimed. The article raises the possibility that private military contractors were involved, potentially hired by the U.S. government or a regional ally, including El Salvador, where the surveillance aircraft linked to the attacks was operating.

The Washington Post | August 13, 2026
Covert CIA program said to be behind mysterious attacks on Galápagos boats
The investigation reports that the attacks were carried out as part of a covert CIA program and documents surveillance flights from Ilopango Airport toward the fishing vessels before the strikes. Survivors also told the Post they were transported to El Salvador after being detained at sea.

El Faro | August 21, 2026
United States Tip-toes Around Military Cooperation with El Salvador
El Faro examines El Salvador’s growing role in Operation Southern Spear, including the use of Salvadoran territory by U.S. aircraft and the Salvadoran Navy’s involvement in receiving survivors detained at sea. It also raises questions about the legal implications of this cooperation.

Drop Site News | April 21, 2026
Rare Survivors of Pacific Boat Strikes Allege U.S. Forces Kidnapped and Tortured Them
Survivors and family members describe drone attacks, detention aboard a U.S.-flagged boat, denial of food and medical care, and the disappearance of the eight-person crew of the Fiorella.

Drop Site News | July 23, 2026
Prosecutor Investigating U.S. Boat Strikes and Claims of Torture Was Murdered in Ecuador
The article reports on the killing of Alexandra Bravo, the Ecuadorian prosecutor assigned to investigate the strikes and survivors’ allegations of kidnapping and torture.

It also compares these attacks to Colombia’s “Falsos Positivos” scandal - referencing also the bombing of Ecuadorian dairy farm in March 2026 in joint operation with the U.S. and the attempts by Ecuadorian military to justify killing 4 Afroecuadorian children by accusing them of drug trafficking in 2025.

The Guardian | June 13, 2026
US claims it is not responsible for strikes on Ecuadorian fishing boats — so who is?
The Guardian reports on pressure from members of Congress seeking answers about possible U.S. involvement following survivor testimony, U.N. intervention, and Pentagon denials.

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This reporting documents how the Bukele government has positioned El Salvador as a key base for the expansion of U.S. military and intelligence operations in the region, deepening a model of regional militarization already linked to arbitrary detention, torture, and other serious human rights violations.

This raises urgent questions about how far that cooperation extends, what other operations it may involve, and the role the Bukele government is playing in the expanding U.S. military footprint in Latin America.