‘Death or Prison?’: US Operations at Sea Face Abuse Allegations

An Ecuadorian boat captain was confronted with a stark question as he was detained by a US force: “What do you prefer, death or prison?” His boat was subsequently destroyed.

The incident was among operations at sea that Human Rights Watch says involved beatings, threats, the destruction of boats and detentions.

The captain’s account places the alleged threat at the moment he was taken into custody. The information provided does not establish where the encounter took place or the grounds for his detention.

The allegations raise questions about the treatment of people detained during US maritime operations and the destruction of their vessels. No response from US authorities was included in the available account.