Rubio allows possibility of unilateral US action against cartels in Mexico
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking with journalists in Quito, Ecuador, said that Mexico, in his view, is doing too little to counter drug cartels. He also suggested that the United States may eventually have to confront this threat “one way or another,” which may indicate the possibility of unilateral action on Mexican territory.
Rubio’s statements
As Mexico News Daily reports, Rubio described the situation in Mexico as complicated due to the country’s size and the influence of cartels. He claimed that significant areas of Mexico are allegedly not controlled by the state, but by narco-terrorist organizations — the term the US uses for cartels designated by Washington as foreign terrorist organizations.
At the same time, the secretary of state acknowledged that Mexican authorities are acting against such groups more actively than ever before. However, in his view, these efforts are still insufficient. Rubio said that the US wants to work with Mexico in partnership, calling this the preferred option.
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Mexico’s response
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, commenting on Rubio’s statements the following day, called them politically motivated ahead of the US midterm elections scheduled for November.
Earlier, US Vice President J.D. Vance also said that Washington could resort to military action in Mexico if it considered this necessary to protect Americans, but stressed the desire to cooperate with the Mexican government.
Mexican authorities have rejected claims that cartels control parts of the country. At the same time, journalist Ioan Grillo, who specializes in organized crime, wrote about a “duopoly of power” in certain regions: cartels have significant influence there, but state institutions continue to operate.
