A New York Times investigation and independent reporting point to US-backed operatives, possibly private mercenaries, bombing and torturing Ecuadorian fishermen — grim news for the fishermen and a fresh scandal for the Trump administration's anti-drug campaign.

• Between January and March, three Ecuadorian fishing boats were hit by drones launched from a blue patrol ship, killing or injuring crews; one boat and its eight men vanished entirely.
• Survivors say English-speaking gunmen in US uniforms with American flag patches — but no military branch markings — abducted, hooded, beat, and starved them before dumping them in El Salvador.
• A plane tracking the boats traced back to a private mailbox in Richmond, Virginia, not the Pentagon's aircraft list, pointing to possible mercenaries; suspicion has landed on Blackwater founder Eric Prince, who is close to Ecuador's government and denies involvement.
• All three boats had been searched and cleared of drugs by Ecuador's Coast Guard, which may explain why the US, usually quick to brag about such strikes, is staying silent here.
• The prosecutor investigating the strikes, Alexandra Bravo, was shot dead in June after being pressured to treat the cases as mere disappearances; she was the 26th member of Ecuador's justice system to be killed.

Outlook: More evidence tying American forces to the attacks is expected soon, deepening questions about the legality of Operation Southern Spear.