QUITO, Ecuador — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Wednesday on the second leg of a three‑nation South American tour aimed at strengthening security cooperation with conservative leaders who have aligned with President Donald Trump, especially in the administration’s crackdown on drug trafficking.
After meeting with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on Tuesday, Rubio proceeded to Quito for discussions with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, who has swiftly adopted a hardline approach to counter‑narcotics operations and immigration.
Ecuador has faced escalating drug‑related violence since 2021 as rival cartels forge alliances with local gangs and contest control of routes and coastal ports used to smuggle cocaine. Situated between Colombia and Peru — the world’s leading cocaine‑producing nations — Ecuador bears the brunt of this crisis.
Under President Noboa, Ecuador has emerged as a key U.S. ally in regional counter‑drug initiatives.
During Rubio’s visit, U.S. forces intercepted and sank a vessel on Tuesday that officials said was tied to the Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Choneros, marking the sixth such operation in under two weeks and the second in two days.
Unlike earlier U.S. operations targeting alleged drug‑smuggling vessels that began in September 2025, occupants of the floating refueling platforms — believed to support drug trafficking — were removed and handed over to Ecuadorian authorities.
This change follows a series of boat strikes this year that have resulted in at least 227 deaths; the Trump administration labeled those individuals “narcoterrorists” without presenting evidence, and the U.S. military conducted at least two of those fatal attacks last month.
During public remarks on Tuesday in Barranquilla, Colombia’s Caribbean port city, de la Espriella and Rubio praised the renewed security cooperation between the United States and Colombia — a partnership that had waned under the prior Colombian administration.
“We share many common interests with these nations, including tackling transnational criminal terrorism and fostering economic engagement,” Rubio said of his visits to the three countries. “This reflects a broader trend across the Western Hemisphere of alignment with U.S. priorities and interests.”
From Quito, Rubio will proceed to Lima, Peru, where he is scheduled to meet with newly inaugurated President Keiko Fujimori.
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