US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Mexico on Wednesday of failing to take sufficient action against drug cartels, warning that the threat would have to be dealt with "one way or another." He spoke during a visit to Ecuador, where he also announced that the United States was adding the Ecuadorian gang Los Tiguerones to its list of "foreign terrorist organizations."
Rubio said large parts of Mexico lie outside effective state control, describing them as run by "narco-terrorist organizations." He said there are huge territories in Mexico that are not governed by the state, adding that the situation poses a serious security threat to the region.
He acknowledged that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's government had made progress in tackling the problem, but said the country still was not doing enough. Rubio did not elaborate on what he meant when he said the cartel threat would need to be confronted one way or another.
Los Tiguerones designated a foreign terrorist organization
The same day, the United States announced it was placing the Ecuadorian criminal gang Los Tiguerones on its list of foreign terrorist organizations, part of Washington's wider campaign against drug trafficking networks in Latin America.
Speaking from Quito, Rubio said the group was not an ordinary mafia and not simply criminals, but terrorists, describing Ecuador as a close ally of the United States.
Ecuador, long regarded as one of the safest countries in Latin America, is now facing an explosive rise in crime linked to organized criminal groups and drug trafficking.
Ecuador's place on the global cocaine map
Ecuador's geography has made it a critical hub for international drug trafficking networks. With Pacific Ocean ports and borders shared with Colombia and Peru, the world's two largest cocaine producers, Ecuador has turned into a major export point within just a few years.
According to figures cited by US authorities, around 70% of the cocaine trafficked worldwide to the United States and Europe now passes through Ecuador.
Rubio is on a tour of Latin America that has already taken him to Colombia, with Peru his next stop. He said criminal groups in the region now have weapons and equipment comparable to those of the armies of some countries.
TV studio raid exposed the gang's power
Los Tiguerones drew international attention in early 2024, when armed, masked men stormed a television studio in Ecuador while a live broadcast was underway.
The attackers opened fire and threatened staff and journalists, forcing them to drop to the floor in a scene that was broadcast live and shocked the country.
According to Ecuador's Organized Crime Observatory, the group is involved in drug and arms trafficking, illegal mining, money laundering, extortion and killings.
Los Tiguerones are considered one of the main drivers of the war between criminal groups that has turned Ecuador into the most violent country in the region. In 2025, the homicide rate reached 51 per 100,000 residents, roughly one killing every hour.
Trump's backing for President Noboa
Ecuador's right-wing president, Daniel Noboa, one of Donald Trump's most important allies in Latin America, has led a campaign against organized crime since 2024 with military support from the United States.
Since Trump returned to the White House in 2025, the State Department has designated several criminal groups in the region as terrorist organizations.
These include Los Choneros, Los Lobos and Chone Killers in Ecuador, Tren de Aragua in Venezuela, and the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico.
