The U.S. Trump administration has decided to strengthen security cooperation with Ecuador and Colombia to bolster its influence in South America and crack down on drug cartels.

Visiting Ecuador, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with President Daniel Noboa in the capital city of Quito on the 9th (local time) and announced plans to provide $45 million (approx. 60 billion won) in security assistance to Ecuador during a press conference.

Explaining that he will request additional budget allocations from the U.S. Congress for this purpose, Secretary Rubio added that a separate project worth $10 million (approx. 13.4 billion won) will also be pursued to block illegal gold mining and organized crime.

In addition, he stated that the U.S. plans to deliver one U.S. Coast Guard cutter and five high-speed interceptor boats to the Ecuadorian Navy, supplementing the seven vessels already delivered this year.

The United States also officially designated Los Tiguerones, a major criminal organization based in Ecuador, as a foreign terrorist organization and imposed sanctions on seven former Ecuadorian officials involved in bribery.

The group is accused of involvement in various illegal activities, including drug trafficking and the 2024 live broadcast takeover of an Ecuadorian television station.

Regarding cartel-busting operations such as striking maritime drug-transport vessels, Secretary Rubio emphasized, "They are not mere criminal groups, but organizations equipped with terrorist capabilities that threaten the entire South American region," adding, "We will dismantle and neutralize them."

Furthermore, addressing controversies surrounding overreactions in maritime strikes, he explained, "Our target is drug traffickers, not fishermen."


Prior to this, Secretary Rubio visited Colombia the day before, where he discussed bilateral strategic security alliances and cooperation in combating drug cartels.

"There is no prosperity without security," Secretary Rubio said, pledging active support for the Colombian government's efforts to eradicate drugs and suppress transnational criminal organizations.

He particularly emphasized that the U.S. will "support Colombia by all possible means" to eliminate the threat of "transnational" drug cartels spreading across Latin America, including Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador.

Through these talks, both sides also discussed: ▲ rebuilding and strengthening the strategic security alliance; ▲ resuming and expanding anti-drug cooperation; ▲ operational and military facility utilization issues; and ▲ responses to the crisis in Venezuela.

(Photo: Getty Images)