US pursues regional drug-interdiction agreements while retaining strikes

Boat-strike death toll reaches at least 230 across 69 strikes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a trip to Quito that the Trump administration is focusing on cooperation with allied countries against drug trafficking in Latin American waters while retaining the option of unilateral military strikes.

Late Wednesday, US Southern Command said its latest strike in the Caribbean Sea killed three people. The command’s announcement brought the number of people reported killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 230 across 69 strikes.

The administration is seeking agreements for joint operations with allied countries in the region, including Colombia and Ecuador. Those operations would comply with each country’s laws when conducted in its waters.

“I think its an incredible advance for the first time to have countries that are willing to participate in these efforts in their territorial waters,” Rubio told reporters during the trip to the Ecuadorian capital.

“The important point is that these routes are being disrupted. These routes are being ended,” Rubio said.

Rubio said decisions about using force would be made on “a strike-by-strike or operation-by-operation determination” depending on the threat and location of a boat. The military will “still blow up ships if need be,” he said.

Rubio was photographed outside the US Embassy in Quito on Wednesday. He made his comments to reporters during the visit to the Ecuadorian capital.

Recent US interdictions in Latin American waters have differed from the administration’s initial strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats. In the recent operations, people aboard floating refueling stations said to support drug trafficking have been removed and transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. The US military then destroys the vessels.

The initial unilateral deadly strikes began in September 2025 against people aboard boats in international waters. Over the following year, the Trump administration accused people targeted in a series of strikes of being “narco-terrorists” without providing evidence.

Rubio’s comments came during a three-nation tour of South America aimed at increasing security cooperation. The Guardian described the participating leaders as conservative figures who had drawn close to Donald Trump.