US Secretary of State Marco Rubio headed Tuesday on his first trip in office to Mexico, which has so far succeeded in navigating treacherous terrain with President Donald Trump who wants tough action on migration and cartels.

Rubio is set to meet Wednesday with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on a trip that will also take him to Ecuador, where Trump ally Daniel Noboa is in charge.

The State Department said Rubio would press on both stops for "swift and decisive action to dismantle cartels, halt fentanyl trafficking, end illegal immigration" and counter the "malign" influence of China.

Hours before Rubio's arrival, Sheinbaum said she would draw a line on US military intervention in Mexico, after Trump signed an order authorizing force against cartels.

"The United States is not going

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