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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is reportedly running a secret operation bombing boats off of the coast of Ecuador that’s separate from the Trump administration’s boat strike campaign, raising more questions about the U.S.’s violence in the region.

The agency was seemingly involved in conducting surveillance flights for attacks on three vessels sailing near the Galápagos Islands in January and March, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. The U.S. has not provided any evidence that the vessels were involved in illicit activities, and survivors have said that they were merely fishing and had no relation to the drug trade.

The attacks include one on a fishing vessel known as the Fiorella on January 20, which vanished without a trace, along with the eight Ecuadorian men on board. They are presumed dead by the UN. In the days prior to the disappearance, crew members had reported seeing drones flying around them, as well as a vessel with U.S. markings.

The other 36 survivors of the strikes have said that they were abducted at gunpoint by men after the attacks on the vessels. They say they were handcuffed and hooded, tortured, and taken to El Salvador. They were then returned to Ecuador, all without explanation.

“They treated........

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