Rubio doubles down on claims that cartels control large areas of Mexico, hinting at unilateral US action

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated his claims on Wednesday that Mexican drug cartels have taken control of significant portions of Mexican territory and suggested the United States might act independently against these criminal organizations. Addressing reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, Rubio stated that vast regions in Mexico are not governed by the state and are instead controlled by narco-terrorist organizations, which the U.S. government has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

He noted that Mexico's government has made efforts to combat these groups, capturing or killing high-profile cartel leaders, seizing large quantities of drugs and weapons, and extraditing some prisoners to the United States. However, Rubio emphasized that these efforts have fallen short of what is needed. He reiterated that these cartels pose a grave threat to the Mexican state and its people, citing high-profile assassinations of political figures, judges, and journalists linked to cartel activities.

Rubio believes that confronting this threat, which includes the use of drones for drug and human trafficking across the border, will ultimately require action, possibly even unilateral measures by the United States. While he hoped for cooperation with Mexico, Rubio hinted that the U.S. might take unilateral action if necessary, especially if U.S. citizens' lives are at risk.

This statement echoes remarks made by other officials, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who previously suggested the U.S. would consider military action in Mexico to protect its citizens.