The new group is designed to give structure and permanence to bilateral security cooperation, and it will bring together senior US and Mexican officials from security, foreign affairs, and intelligence agencies. During his visit, Rubio announced nearly twenty million dollars in support for Ecuador, including six million dollars for naval drones. From security cooperation to economic prosperityRubio’s focus both on enhancing security cooperation and on deepening economic ties is important, and his trip points the way toward a broader strategic vision for the region. The US secretary of state’s visit presented security cooperation as the entry point, but prosperity as the true test of success. Security cooperation should be conceived as a means to an end—in Latin America, that end should be economic security.