# The US is no longer striking drug boats alone

> Rubio says Washington now wants joint operations with Latin American allies, but the strikes have not stopped.
- Title: The US is no longer striking drug boats alone · the Guardian
- Summary: Rubio says Washington now wants joint operations with Latin American allies, but the strikes have not stopped. The US is trading some unilateral force for…
- Keywords: drug trafficking, us foreign policy, ecuador, marco rubio, latin america, news, world, longer, striking, drug, boats, alone
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/09/rubio-us-allies-drug-trafficking
- Author: Associated Press
- Published: 2026-09-10T01:02:42+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: drug trafficking, us foreign policy, ecuador, marco rubio, latin america, news, world
## A new line from Rubio
The US secretary of state said the Trump administration now wants to work with allied countries and follow their laws when going after drug boats in Latin American waters.

> still blow up ships if need be
## Still lethal, still counting
US Southern Command said a Caribbean strike late Wednesday killed three people. That takes the toll to at least 230 killed across 69 boat strikes.
## A year of unilateral strikes
Washington began hitting boats in international waters in September 2025, calling the people on board narco-terrorists without offering evidence for the claim.
## Allies in their own waters
The administration is building agreements for joint operations with Colombia and Ecuador that comply with those countries' laws inside their territorial waters.

> I think its an incredible advance for the first time to have countries that are willing to participate in these efforts in their territorial waters
## Detain first, then destroy
In recent interdictions, people aboard floating refueling stations were removed and handed to Ecuadorian authorities. Only then did the US military blow up the vessels.
## Decided boat by boat
Rubio called it a strike-by-strike, operation-by-operation call based on the threat and the boat's location. His South America tour is about locking in security deals with Trump-friendly leaders.

> The important point is that these routes are being disrupted.
## Key takeaway

The US is trading some unilateral force for partner cooperation, though it reserves the right to keep blowing up boats.