Rubio defends anti-drug boat strikes, warns of cartel ‘cancer’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended controversial strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats during a visit to Ecuador on Wednesday (September 9, 2026), arguing Latin American cartels would “eat these countries alive” if left unchecked.

Hailing a new generation of conservative leaders emerging across the region who are allied with President Donald Trump, Mr. Rubio said Washington was finding partners willing to be “very aggressive” against criminal groups.

Since Mr. Trump returned to power, the United States has embraced airstrikes against vessels plying known trafficking routes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility Roberto Kury (right) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) participate in a press conference at the presidential palace in Quito, Ecuador, on September 9, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters

According to Pentagon figures, the operations have killed more than 200 people.