Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated the U.S. will 'blow up' foreign crime groups if needed, possibly in collaboration with other countries.
'Now they're gonna help us find these people and blow them up, if that's what it takes,' Rubio said during a visit to Ecuador.
He also announced that the U.S. will designate two of Ecuador's largest criminal gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as foreign terrorist organizations.
The comments come days after U.S. forces carried out a strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the deaths of 11 suspected drug-traffickers, although their identities were not disclosed.
Late on Thursday, the defense department accused two Venezuelan military aircraft of flying near a U.S. vessel, a move labeled as 'highly provocative' and designed to interfere with counter-narcotics operations.
Rubio addressed questions regarding smugglers from allied nations, asserting that cooperative governments would help in identifying these individuals.
'The president has said he wants to wage war on these groups because they've been waging war on us for 30 years and no one has responded,' Rubio noted.
This stark declaration aligns with President Daniel Noboa of Ecuador’s calls for international assistance in combating rampant gang violence fueled by disputes over cocaine trafficking routes.
Legal experts have warned that recent strikes may have repercussions under international law, and controversially, the designation of these gangs as terrorist organizations may complicate asylum processes for victims of cartel violence.
