MIAMI — President Donald Trump on Saturday unveiled a sweeping multinational effort to dismantle drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere, announcing a new regional alliance aimed at confronting the powerful criminal networks fueling violence and narcotics trafficking throughout the Americas.
Speaking at the Summit of the Americas held at Trump National Doral near Miami, Trump announced the creation of “America’s Counter-Cartel Coalition,” a partnership that will bring together military, intelligence and law enforcement resources from across the region to target cartel operations.
“The heart of our agreement is a commitment to using lethal military force to destroy the sinister cartels and terrorist networks once and for all,” Trump said during remarks to regional leaders. “We’ll get rid of them. We need your help. You have to just tell us where they are.”
The initiative has already drawn support from at least 17 nations, according to the White House, and is intended to coordinate joint security operations, intelligence sharing and regional enforcement strategies aimed at weakening drug trafficking organizations.
Trump compared the plan to the U.S.-led coalition that defeated ISIS in the Middle East, arguing that a similar multinational strategy is necessary to dismantle cartel networks that operate across borders and destabilize governments throughout the hemisphere.
“Just as we formed a coalition to eradicate ISIS, we now need a coalition to eradicate the cartels,” Trump said.
Focus on Western Hemisphere security
The summit marked a renewed push by the Trump administration to refocus U.S. foreign policy on the Western Hemisphere, even as global conflicts continue to demand Washington’s attention.
Senior U.S. officials attending the gathering included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who now serves as a special envoy focused on regional security cooperation.
During the summit, Trump argued that organized crime networks represent one of the most significant threats to stability in the hemisphere.
He singled out Mexico as the “epicenter of cartel violence,” claiming that drug trafficking groups there are responsible for much of the bloodshed and instability seen throughout the region.
“The cartels are fueling and orchestrating much of the bloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere,” Trump said.
Maduro capture highlighted
Trump also referenced the dramatic U.S. operation earlier this year that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was taken into custody and transported to the United States to face drug and weapons conspiracy charges.
The president described the mission as “18 minutes of pure violence,” portraying it as a demonstration of the kind of decisive action he believes is needed to confront cartel networks and authoritarian regimes in the region.
Trump praised Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, whose government recently re-established diplomatic relations with the United States following Maduro’s removal from power.
“I mean, she’s doing a great job because she’s working with us,” Trump said. “If she wasn’t working with us, I would not say she’s doing a great job.”
Leaders from across the hemisphere attend
The summit brought together leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean, including:
- Javier Milei of Argentina
- Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia
- José Antonio Kast of Chile
- Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica
- Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic
- Daniel Noboa of Ecuador
- Nayib Bukele of El Salvador
- Tito Asfura of Honduras
- Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana
- José Raúl Mulino of Panama
- Santiago Peña of Paraguay
- Christine Kangaloo of Trinidad and Tobago
Trump said the coalition would serve as a model of cooperation between nations facing common security threats.
“The only way to defeat these enemies,” Trump said, “is by unleashing the power of our militaries.”
The summit was held at Trump National Doral near Miami. Newport Buzz covered the event on site.
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