U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sharply criticized Mexico over what he described as insufficient action against powerful drug cartels, warning that the threat must be addressed “one way or another.”
Rubio made the remarks during a visit to Ecuador, as Washington announced the designation of the Ecuadorian criminal group Los Tiguerones as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
Rubio said large parts of Mexican territory are not effectively controlled by the state and are instead dominated by organizations he described as “narco-terrorists.”
“There are vast territories in Mexico that are not governed by the state,” Rubio said, describing the situation as a serious security threat to the region.
At the same time, the U.S. secretary of state acknowledged that the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has made progress in fighting the cartels, but argued that Mexico “is not doing enough.”
Rubio did not provide details on what he meant by saying the threat would have to be addressed “one way or another.”
On the same day, the United States announced the designation of Los Tiguerones as a foreign terrorist organization, as part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign against criminal groups and drug-trafficking networks across Latin America.
“We’re not talking about a typical mafia, we’re not talking about criminals, we’re talking about terrorists,” Rubio said in Quito, describing Ecuador as a close U.S. ally.
Ecuador, once regarded as one of Latin America’s safer countries, has faced a sharp rise in organized crime, drug trafficking and violence between rival criminal groups in recent years.
Its geographic location has turned Ecuador into a major hub for international drug trafficking. Its Pacific ports and proximity to Colombia and Peru, two of the world’s leading cocaine-producing countries, have made the country an important transit and export point.
According to figures cited by U.S. authorities, around 70% of the cocaine trafficked to the United States and Europe passes through Ecuador.
Rubio is on a tour of Latin America. After Ecuador, he is expected to visit Peru, while he previously traveled to Colombia.
According to Rubio, criminal groups operating across the region possess “weapons and equipment similar to those of the militaries of some countries.”
