Fact check
“Marco Rubio maintains US still willing to ‘blow up ships if need be’.”
Reasoning
The provided evidence consists of two excerpts from a Guardian news article dated 26 September 2026. Both excerpts contain the phrase “Marco Rubio maintains US still willing to ‘blow up ships if need be’,” confirming that Rubio made this statement in the context of U.S. airstrikes on Ecuadorian fishing vessels.
On confidence: Two independent excerpts from the same Guardian article directly attribute the statement to Marco Rubio.
Important context
The statement is reported in the context of U.S. military actions against Ecuadorian fishing boats, with the article discussing humanitarian concerns and political reactions.
Evidence
Supporting (2)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceUS strikes on Ecuadorian fishing boats raise humanitarian concerns but Trump admin not wavering | Ecuador | The Guardian
US forces intercepted the Ecuadorian vessel Manta on 5 September before the vessel was destroyed. Photograph: US Marine Corps Forces, South View image in fullscreen US forces intercepted the Ecuadorian vessel Manta on 5 September before…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceUS strikes on Ecuadorian fishing boats raise humanitarian concerns but Trump admin not wavering | Ecuador | The Guardian
blow up ships if need be”. Human rights organisations have described the airstrikes as extrajudicial killings, and a special rapporteur for the UN human rights council has concluded that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that they…
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single news source; no direct quotation from Rubio or additional sources are provided to corroborate the statement beyond this article.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:40 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
US strikes on Ecuadorian fishing boats raise humanitarian concerns but Trump admin not waveringThe Guardian · Tiago Rogero South America correspondent