Rubio Deepens Military Ties with Right-Wing Latin American Allies Under Banner of "Anti-Drug" Campaign; Pentagon: U.S. Airstrikes on Suspected Drug Boats Have Killed Over 200

According to The Hindu citing Pentagon data, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio on September 9 publicly defended in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, the U.S. airstrikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific, announced the designation of the Ecuadorian armed group "Los Tiguerones" as a "terrorist organization," and simultaneously imposed sanctions on seven former Ecuadorian officials. Pentagon statistics show that since Trump returned to the White House, such airstrikes have killed over 200 people.

At a press conference following his meeting with Ecuadorian President Noboa, Rubio likened drug-trafficking gangs to a "spreading cancer," warning that if not curbed, "they will devour these countries alive." "It is a spreading cancer, until you no longer have a real country," Rubio said. "I am glad we have leaders in this region who take these gangs seriously; otherwise we will see one failed state after another."

However, The Hindu reported that human rights organizations, fishermen, and their families have raised strong doubts about these operations, claiming that there was insufficient evidence linking the boats to drug trafficking before they were sunk. Experts likewise questioned whether such military strikes can have any actual effect on curbing the flow of drugs into the United States, the world's largest drug-consuming market.

When asked whether boats would continue to be sunk, Rubio responded: "It depends on the situation; we are still sinking boats." He also acknowledged that operational decisions require case-by-case judgment, depending on the threat posed by the vessel, its location, and local laws. According to The Hindu, recent joint U.S.-Ecuador patrols transferred crew members off at least six boats before sinking them, a move seen as a tactical adjustment. However, the legal authorization and jurisdictional basis for U.S. military airstrikes carried out in or near the territorial waters of other countries have yet to be independently and publicly verified.

The escalation of violence in Ecuador provides a real-world backdrop for U.S. military intervention. The Hindu cited data showing that over the past three years, more than 25,000 people have been killed in Ecuador as drug-trafficking gangs fought over control of trafficking routes. Los Tiguerones, which has now been designated a "terrorist organization" by the U.S. side, stormed the studio of an Ecuadorian television station with guns in early 2024, opening fire and forcing the station's staff to the floor. Rubio claimed these gangs "possess weaponry on par with the armed forces of certain countries."

Rubio's itinerary links Colombia and Ecuador and will then take him to Peru, part of an overarching strategy to consolidate right-wing allies in Latin America and push forward the "Shield of the Americas" security partnership initiative. According to The Hindu, during his visit to Colombia he pledged to restore a "natural relationship" with Bogotá after years of left-wing governance; toward the left-wing-ruled Mexico he adopted a tougher tone, saying that although Mexico has intensified its crackdown, it is "far from enough," and pointed to the existence of "vast stretches of territory not under state control" in Mexico. The final stop, Peru, has been governed since July of this year by conservative President Dina Boluarte, where Rubio is expected to push for the implementation of the "Shield of the Americas" initiative.

Designating drug cartels as "terrorist organizations," imposing sanctions on former Ecuadorian officials, and routinizing military strikes — under this series of moves, the United States is deepening its security entanglement with right-wing Latin American allies under the banner of "anti-drug" operations. Rubio's three-country tour threads together the political reality that all three countries are tilting toward conservatism, paving the way for an expanded U.S. military presence in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. The fact that over 200 people have died in the airstrikes, that evidence linking the boats to drug trafficking has been widely questioned, and that experts are skeptical about the actual effectiveness of curbing drug flows into the United States — these constitute an unavoidable accountability ledger for this policy.