US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified the United States’ strategy for combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters, emphasizing that the Trump administration will work with allied countries and respect their laws, while maintaining that the military will still destroy vessels when necessary.
The statement follows a year of unilateral, deadly strikes against boats the US labels “narco‑terrorists” operating in international waters. A recent Southern Command announcement on Wednesday reported a strike in the Caribbean Sea that killed three people, bringing the total number of deaths from US‑led boat strikes to at least 230 across 69 operations.
Rubio said the administration is now pursuing agreements for joint operations with regional partners such as Colombia and Ecuador, ensuring that actions in their territorial waters comply with local regulations. He praised the willingness of these countries to participate, describing it as an “incredible advance.”
He added that the decision to strike is “a strike‑by‑strike or operation‑by‑operation determination” that depends on the threat posed and the location of the vessel. The goal, he said, is to disrupt and end the trafficking routes.
Recent interdictions differ from the initial strikes that began in September 2025. In those cases, people aboard floating refueling stations said to support drug trafficking were removed and handed over to Ecuadorian authorities before the US military destroyed the vessels.
Rubio’s remarks came during a three‑nation tour of South America aimed at strengthening security cooperation with conservative leaders who have aligned with Donald Trump, and he highlighted the shift after a series of unsubstantiated strikes on alleged narco‑terrorists.
