U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed the Trump administration’s willingness to “adopt a military posture” to confront gangs—transnational terrorist organizations operating in Haiti and other countries in the region. These gangs, which possess weaponry comparable to that of a state, constitute a “serious threat” to U.S. national security and to regional stability, he said during a Senate hearing on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

“We are facing, in our region, a very real reality: these transnational terrorist criminal organizations that, in many cases, possess weapons normally associated with a state. They represent a serious threat to the national security of the United States, but also to the stability of the region. We must adopt a military posture capable of confronting them and of providing assistance, in coordination with other partners,” said Marco Rubio, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, whose administration has resorted to the military for targeted strikes against vessels and their crews accused of drug trafficking.