Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised to strengthen security cooperation with Mexico while respecting its sovereignty, just one day after the U.S. military sank a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. The strike marked a sharp escalation in the fight against drug cartels, sparking reactions across the region.
Rubio began his visit to Mexico and Ecuador — both allies in President Donald Trump’s war on drugs — by meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace in Mexico City on Wednesday. The two leaders focused on cross-border security and the campaign against cartels.
“We have reached a historical level of cooperation,” Rubio said at a press conference. He highlighted the recent transfer of dozens of cartel members wanted by the Trump administration as proof of stronger coordination.
After long negotiations, both countries agreed to create a permanent high-level group that will meet regularly to address cartel activity, border tunnels, and fuel theft. “Each one in his own territory,” explained Mexico’s foreign minister, Juan Ramón de la Fuente.
Even though Tuesday’s military strike shows how far Washington is prepared to go, the new agreement is a significant win for Sheinbaum. Her government has pushed for a structured plan to manage sensitive security issues, hoping it will prevent unilateral U.S. military action inside Mexico.
According to U.S. officials, the Caribbean strike was meant to deter traffickers and signal stronger anti-drug operations. Trump, who has made border security a top priority in his second term, labeled cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and directed the Pentagon to prepare military options against them.
“If you’re on a boat full of cocaine headed to the U.S., you’re an immediate threat,” Rubio said after his meeting with Sheinbaum. “And the president, under his authority as Commander in Chief, has a right to eliminate imminent threats. That’s what he did yesterday.”
Officials said the strike killed 11 alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua crime syndicate in international waters. This is the first acknowledged U.S. military attack on a Latin American cartel since Trump gave the Pentagon authority to act earlier this year. It follows the deployment of U.S. warships in the southern Caribbean.
Some Caribbean officials praised the move, but others — including regional leaders and rights groups — condemned it as unlawful. Critics argue that the U.S. broke with the Coast Guard’s usual practice of capturing traffickers and putting them on trial.
“Donald Trump ordered a summary execution” by applying wartime rules to what should be a law enforcement case, said Kenneth Roth, former Human Rights Watch director and now a professor at Princeton University.
The situation is especially sensitive for Mexico. Trump previously threatened tariffs and even offered to send U.S. troops to dismantle cartels, an offer Sheinbaum firmly rejected. She has stressed that Mexico will share intelligence and cooperate on law enforcement, but U.S. troops will not be allowed on Mexican soil.
During security talks, Mexican officials worried the U.S. might strike fentanyl labs or drug lords inside Mexico, a move that could trigger a serious diplomatic crisis.
Trump has claimed cartels control Mexico and said he offered to intervene militarily, but Sheinbaum insists bilateral cooperation is strong and that Mexico faces no outside pressure.
Before meeting Rubio, Sheinbaum said both governments understand what joint steps can be taken to dismantle cartels and reduce the flow of drugs like fentanyl into the U.S.
Mexico’s navy remains one of Washington’s closest partners, especially in intercepting cocaine shipments through the Pacific. Still, one senior naval officer warned that being asked to fire on a vessel and kill its crew would break Mexican law and damage trust.
Rubio said the Trump administration plans to continue and expand lethal strikes on drug cartels.
“What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them,” Rubio said. “It’ll happen again.”
