Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended controversial strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats during a visit to Ecuador on Wednesday, arguing Latin American cartels would "eat these countries alive" if left unchecked.
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cartels → defend → countries
Hours later, the U.S. military confirmed it conducted another deadly strike in the Caribbean Sea.
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it → confirm → Sea
Hailing a new generation of conservative leaders emerging across the region who are allied with President Trump, Rubio said Washington was finding partners willing to be "very aggressive" against criminal groups.
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Washington → hail → groups
Since Mr. Trump returned to power, the U.S. has conducted airstrikes against vessels plying known trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
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U.S. → return → Caribbean
According to Pentagon figures, the operations have killed more than 200 people.
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operations → accord → people
Rights groups, fishermen and their relatives have questioned the campaign, alleging vessels were targeted without sufficient evidence of links to trafficking.
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vessels → question → trafficking
Experts have also questioned whether they do anything to curb the flow of cocaine and other drugs to the United States -- the world's largest consumer.
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they → question → States
Speaking after talks with President Daniel Noboa in Quito, Rubio said the operations would continue.
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operations → speak → Quito
"If you don't confront these groups, they will eat these countries alive," he warned.
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he → confront → countries
"It's like a cancer that continues to grow until you don't literally have a state anymore."
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you → continue → state
"I'm glad that we have leaders in this region that are serious about going after these groups, because if we didn't, we would have failed country after failed country."
In recent weeks there have been signs of a shift in tactics, with
removing crews from at least six boats before sinking the vessels.
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we → have → vessels
Last week, the U.S. military intercepted and
that was allegedly being used to support at-sea drug trafficking by the Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Choneros.
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that → intercept → organization
It came after a that destroyed another vessel linked to the gang, one of Ecuador's main drug trafficking and extortion groups.
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that → come → groups
Rubio said decisions were made case by case and depended on the threat posed by a vessel, its location and local laws.
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decisions → say → vessel
"When you're conducting a joint operation in territorial waters, you have to reach an understanding as to how those operations are going to occur," he said.
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he → conduct → understanding
Asked whether vessels would continue to be destroyed, Rubio replied: "Well again, it depends, and we still blow up ships."
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we → ask → ships
Later Wednesday, the U.S. military's Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said American forces executed a "lethal kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean.
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forces → say → Caribbean
"
The operation "killed three narco-terrorists," SOUTHCOM posted on X along with black-and-white footage of a ship exploding in the water and bursting into flames.
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ship → kill → flames
In Ecuador alone, more than 25,000 people have been murdered in the last three years as drug gangs have vied for control of trafficking routes.
"We are talking about terrorists who, in many cases, possess weapons and equipment resembling the national armies of certain countries," Rubio said.
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Rubio → murder → countries
Earlier this year, American commandos
Ecuadorian troops in a joint mission aimed at dismantling a suspected criminal hub operated by an alleged narco-terrorist organization along the country's coast.
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commandos → aim → coast
U.S. blacklists "Tiguerones" as terror group
While in Quito, Rubio announced the designation of one Ecuadorian gang, Los Tiguerones, as a "terrorist organization" and sanctions against seven Ecuadoran former officials.
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Rubio → blacklist → officials
The Tiguerones made international headlines in early 2024 when masked gang members
during a live broadcast, firing shots and forcing terrified crew to the ground.
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members → make → ground
The move to blacklist the gang comes about two months after the U.S. designated Ecuadorian gang the
as a foreign terrorist organization.
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U.S. → blacklist → organization
The Chone Killers are an offshoot of , a gang the U.S. previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2020.Los
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U.S. → designate → organization
Last year, Los Lobos was
by the U.S.After visiting Colombia and Ecuador
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Lobos → visit → U.S.After
, Rubio late Wednesday landed in Lima, where he will meet Peruvian leaders on the last stop of a tour to shore up rightwing allies and bolster U.S. influence across the region.
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he → land → region
In Colombia, Rubio pledged to restore "natural relations" with Bogota after years of leftist rule.
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Rubio → pledge → rule
He had less warm words for leftist-led Mexico, which he said was stepping up the cartel fight "but it is still not nearly enough.
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it → have → fight
"
"There are territories, vast territories in Mexico that are not governed by the state," he said.
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he → be → state
"That threat will have to be confronted one way or the other."
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threat → have → ?
