The Trump administration is adopting a firm approach against drug traffickers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in Ecuador at a joint news conference with the country’s foreign minister that President Donald Trump intends to “wage war” against narco-terrorists. 

“It’s a war on killers. It’s a war on terror. These individuals are not merely narco-traffickers; they are narco-terrorists who terrorize the nations in which they operate,” stated Rubio.

Although he indicated that the U.S. was ready to assist Ecuador in combating drug traffickers, he clarified that the partnership between the two countries wouldn’t focus solely on security. The secretary mentioned that the U.S. aims to enhance its already “vibrant economic relationship” with the South American country.

Rubio highlighted the significance of the designation, stating that it enables the nations to exchange intelligence that “can be used for potentially lethal operations,” allowing the host country to eliminate the terrorists.

The secretary of state also spoke about threats from Venezuela and the U.S. actions in the country. He asserted that the United Nations has suggested Venezuela is uninvolved in the drug trade.

“I don’t care what the U.N. says. The U.N. is clueless. Maduro is indicted by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York,” Rubio said regarding the Venezuelan leader. 

Venezuelan vessel destroyed during U.S. military strike. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)

“That means the Southern District of New York presented the evidence to a grand jury, and a grand jury indicted him. And then a superseding indictment came out that was unsealed about a year and a half ago that specifically detailed Maduro’s actions. So, number one, let there be no doubt he, Nicolás Maduro, is an indicted drug trafficker in the United States, and he’s a fugitive of American justice.”

Rubio also referenced “cooperative governments,” which he said would help the U.S. identify and locate drug traffickers.

“They’re going to help us identify them – they’re going to help us find these people and blow them up, if that’s what it takes. They’re going to help us with it,” Rubio said. 

Earlier this week, U.S. Marines carried out an unprecedented strike on a cartel-operated vessel off of Venezuela. This signaled that the Trump administration was taking a tougher new approach to countering the international drug trade. The strike killed 11 members of Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration designated as a terrorist organization in February.

“Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “BEWARE!”