Rubio says US will work with allies on drug-trafficking as three killed in latest boat strike
Rubio visits Ecuador and welcomes cooperation after campaign of unilateral strikes on alleged ‘narco-terrorists’ US secretary of state Marco Rubio gave new clarity on the approach toward combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters, saying the Trump administration was focused on working with allied countries and aligning with their laws but insisting the military will “still blow up ships…
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the United States' approach to combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters, emphasizing cooperation with allied countries and alignment with their laws. This marks a shift from the Trump administration's campaign of unilateral military strikes against alleged "narco-terrorists."
In a recent strike off the Caribbean coast, three individuals were killed, bringing the total number of fatalities from US military boat strikes to at least 230 in 69 incidents. Rubio, while visiting Ecuador, praised the progress in aligning with regional partners Colombia and Ecuador, stating that joint operations comply with their respective laws.
The US military's decision to target boats is based on a case-by-case assessment of threat and location. Recent interdictions in Latin American waters involve removing individuals from floating refueling stations linked to drug trafficking, transferring them to Ecuadorian authorities, followed by the US military destroying the vessels.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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