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Arson suspected as cause of fire on tuna vessel linked to Briones Chiquito family
The 'Gold Tuna' caught fire in the waters of the Manabí province on Feb 2, 2026. The vessel was linked to the Briones Chiquito family. The fishing vessel was anchored in the Port of Manta, when the alarm sounded around 4:00 a.m. Firefighters took more than three hours to extinguish the blaze. Once the fire was under control, the Navy arranged for the vessel to be towed to a safe area offshore to prevent pollution risks and potential damage to port infrastructure and the coastal ecosystem. The vessel had already been targeted in previous attacks. The National Police therefore suspected arson. It has been the scene of criminal activity before. On Jan 21, gunmen arrived by boat at a private dock in Jaramijó and murdered the security guard. During the same operation, the attackers left nine explosive devices that failed to detonate. Personnel from the Police Intervention and Rescue Group (GIR) carried out a controlled detonation of the device in a safe area. The vessel was linked to alleged drug trafficker Leonardo Briones, alias “Mexicano,” former leader of the Los Lobos organized crime group, who was murdered in July 2025 along with his wife. Last month also saw the murders of Orlando Gabriel Briones, the criminal leader's brother, and his 17-year-old son, Dante Briones. The 'Gold Tuna' remained registered with the Ecuadorian Navy under the name of the company Geopaxi S.A. Many fishing vessels like the 'Gold Tuna' do not directly transport narcotics, but rather operate as floating gas stations to supply fuel to speedboats used to transport cocaine to international maritime routes. Reports with photos: https://www.teleamazonas.com/actualidad/noticias/seguridad/esto-sobre-incendio-embarcacion-gold-tuna-manta-lunes-110091/ https://www.vistazo.com/actualidad/nacional/2026-02-02-barco-atunero-gold-tuna-incendiado-manta-vinculo-alias-mexicano-CB10665061 https://www.expreso.ec/provincias/se-incendio-el-barco-gold-tuna-en-manta-quien-pertenecia-la-embarcacion-273040.html https://fmmundo.com/notimundo/actualidad/incendio-consume-barco-gold-tuna-manta-embarcacion-ligada-supuestamente-alias-mexicano-n83530
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