Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the growing cooperation between the Trump administration and Mexico in the fight against organized crime groups.
At a press conference in Mexico City with Mexican counterpart Juan Ramon de la Fuente, officials announced the creation of a “high-level implementation group” that will meet regularly to focus on cartels.
“Our joint coordination and collaboration will help us strengthen the border, reduce fentanyl trafficking, and improve intelligence sharing within the legal frameworks of both countries,” de la Fuente said.
Rubio added that the partnership is the “closest we have ever had… certainly in the history of U.S.-Mexico relations.”
The meeting also addressed the recent U.S. attack on a Venezuelan vessel, which American officials said was part of efforts to fight drug trafficking in the region.
Rubio defended the move, saying the U.S. has long used intelligence to stop drug boats but that stronger action was needed. “What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them. They were designated as narcoterrorist organizations. The same intelligence showed that a drug boat was headed toward the United States, and on the President’s orders, it was destroyed,” he explained.
Ioan Grillo, a journalist who covers cartels, warned that the incident could signal future action against criminal groups in Mexico. He wrote on social media: “The missile attack on the alleged drug boat in the Caribbean shows how the terrorist designation of cartels and gangs works now. The line has been crossed. This is how an attack on a Mexican cartel target could look like.”
Such a move could increase tensions between the U.S. and Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has made it clear she opposes this kind of military action. Speaking at the Presidential Palace, she said targeting cartels with attacks would not eliminate them, stressing that the fight against organized crime “is much more complex.”
