Rubio Says U.S. Will Work With Other Nations to ‘Blow Up’ Crime Groups

The New York Times ^ | Sept. 4, 2025, 3:48 p.m. ET | Edward Wong

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The Trump administration aims to carry out more violent strikes against drug cartels, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said as he met with Ecuador’s president.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Trump administration wants to help partner governments conduct violent strikes against criminal groups, following the playbook the U.S. military used this week to carry out a lethal attack on a boat in the Caribbean.

“Those governments will help us find these people and blow them up,” he said at a news conference in Ecuador. “They might do it themselves, and we’ll help them do it.”

Mr. Rubio made his comments to reporters in the presidential palace in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, alongside Gabriela Sommerfeld, the nation’s foreign minister. Mr. Rubio had private talks earlier with Ms. Sommerfeld and President Daniel Noboa a conservative businessman who was re-elected in April after serving a partial term.

Mr. Rubio said the State Department was designating two crime groups operating in Ecuador, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as foreign terrorist organizations, giving the U.S. government greater power to impose financial penalties on people linked to them. More groups will likely be designated soon, he added.

Under Mr. Rubio, the State Department has already designated several Mexican and Venezuelan crime groups as foreign terrorist organizations. The Trump administration has said the boat targeted by the United States was used by Tren de Aragua, a criminal group from Venezuela that is among those designated by the State Department. The administration said 11 people on board had been killed.

Mr. Rubio also said Thursday that the State Department would spend an additional $13.7 million to help fight drug trafficking and other crimes, and that the agency would spend $6 million on drone equipment for Ecuador. The two countries are also negotiating terms...

[crusty old prospector]

In before the John Candy meme.

[ClearCase_guy]

Being mean to drug dealers. How horrible. Democrats are outraged.

[foundedonpurpose]

Can they do better than blowing up a speed boat from Venezuela? Based on type and model, it would have never made it to our coast.
Oh ya, regime for Venezuela is in the air. It’s what the US does best to third world nations that the CIA screwed up in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

[MtnClimber]

[montag813]

The Cartels build in a 2% loss rate for interdictions and arrests. People and drugs are expendable. But SHIPS are expensive, and with a virtual death sentence for participants added to the mix, they may find it much harder to recruit. Great approach.

[fortes fortuna juvat]

Excellent news, and the more frequently these murdering monsters get whacked the better for the human race!

[fortes fortuna juvat]

The Cartels build in a 2% loss rate for interdictions and arrests. People and drugs are expendable. But SHIPS are expensive, and with a virtual death sentence for participants added to the mix, they may find it much harder to recruit. Great approach.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Excellent observation. Snuff them out at every opportunity because they’re a major cause of the success of the anti-American indoctrination that has now affected millions of American drug users.

[gundog]

I’m sure they were off-loading to other boats, maybe fishing boats. Maybe bound fir small airstripd in PR, USVI, Dominican Republic. I hope they have intel on the distribution network.

[Valpal1]

It was headed for Trinidad & Tobago, which is why their president was so happy and supportive of it. She wants all of them blown up real good.

[Jumper]

I wonder what the ROE is for US Forces? We will be firing first. Trump is going to need to update our current ROE, otherwise they just goodbye at us.

[jerod]

Work with the leaders of these nations... Many of whom are on the payroll of the cartels they pretend to clamp down on... LOL

Good luck with that.

[MacNaughton]

I wonder what the ROE is for US Forces?

"US announces huge seizure of meth precursor chemicals from China"

... 13,000 of them, according to Janine Pirro -- shipped from Shanghai on 2 separate vessels, and bound for laboratories of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico when they were seized "on the high seas" last week. "Foreign law enforcement partners" assisted US personnel to consolidate the shipments in Panama and bring them to Houston, said Todd Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

[Drew68]

Rubio Says U.S. Will Work With Other Nations to ‘Blow Up’ Crime Groups