Rubio in Ecuador to Bolster Counterdrug Ties With Noboa
Marco Rubio visits Ecuador to strengthen counterdrug cooperation with President Noboa amid US operations against drug-trafficking vessels.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Ecuador on Wednesday, the second stop of a three-nation South American tour aimed at deepening security partnerships with conservative leaders aligned with the Trump administration's hardline approach to drug trafficking and immigration.
Rubio met with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in Quito, a leader who has quickly embraced Washington's aggressive counternarcotics stance. Ecuador, sandwiched between the world's top cocaine producers Colombia and Peru, has seen a surge in drug-related violence since 2021 as cartels and local gangs fight over smuggling routes and coastal ports.
The visit comes as U.S. forces intercepted and sank a vessel linked to the Ecuadorian criminal group Los Choneros on Tuesday. It was the sixth such operation in under two weeks and the second in as many days. Unlike earlier strikes that killed at least 227 people since September 2025, the crew aboard this floating refueling station was removed and handed over to Ecuadorian authorities—a notable shift in tactics.
On Tuesday in Barranquilla, Colombia, Rubio and President Abelardo de la Espriella touted a revival in bilateral ties, particularly in security cooperation that had stalled under the previous Colombian government. Rubio described the tour as reflecting a broader regional trend of alignment with U.S. interests, including countering transnational criminal terrorism and expanding economic engagement.
From Quito, Rubio will travel to Lima to meet Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, completing his regional tour.