Trump urges Latin American leaders to consider military action against cartels

President Donald Trump encouraged Latin American leaders Saturday to consider using their militaries to confront drug trafficking cartels and transnational gangs, calling the groups an “unacceptable threat” to security across the Western Hemisphere.

Trump made the remarks during a regional summit at Trump National Doral Miami, his golf resort near Miami. The meeting, dubbed the “Shield of the Americas,” brought together leaders from across Latin America as the administration seeks to sharpen U.S. foreign policy focus on the region.

“The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our militaries,” Trump said. “We have to use our military. You have to use your military.”

He compared the effort to the U.S.-led coalition that fought the Islamic State group in the Middle East, saying similar cooperation is needed to dismantle criminal organizations across the Americas.

“We must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home,” Trump said.

A summit amid global conflicts

The gathering came two months after Trump ordered a U.S. military operation to capture Venezuela’s then-president, Nicolás Maduro, and bring him and his wife to the United States to face drug conspiracy charges.

It also took place as the United States remains involved in a conflict with Iran alongside Israel. Trump left the summit shortly after speaking to travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the dignified transfer of six U.S. troops killed in a drone strike on a command center in Kuwait.

Trump described the deaths as a “very sad situation” and called the troops “great heroes.”

Despite those global tensions, the summit highlighted the administration’s effort to refocus attention on the Western Hemisphere. Trump has pledged to reassert U.S. influence in the region and counter what he views as a growing Chinese economic presence.

Trump signals pressure on Cuba

Trump also suggested that U.S. policy toward Cuba could shift after the conflict with Iran.

“Great change will soon be coming to Cuba,” he said, adding that the country’s leadership is “very much at the end of the line.”

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized the gathering, describing it in a social media post as “small, reactionary, and neocolonial.” He said the United States was encouraging right-wing governments in the region “to accept the lethal use of U.S. military force to resolve internal problems.”

Regional leaders attend summit

Leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago attended the meeting.

The summit emerged after plans for the 10th Summit of the Americas collapsed last year during a U.S. military buildup near Venezuela. The Dominican Republic, which was set to host that event, barred Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from attending under pressure from the White House.

After some left-leaning leaders in the region threatened to boycott the gathering, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader postponed the summit, citing “deep differences” among countries in the hemisphere.

The new “Shield of the Americas” summit reflects Trump’s push for a more forceful regional strategy, using U.S. military and intelligence cooperation to combat organized crime.

Military cooperation expands

As part of that effort, Ecuador and the United States carried out joint military operations this week targeting organized crime groups in the South American country.

Authorities said Ecuadorian and U.S. security forces attacked a refuge belonging to the Colombian illegal armed group Comandos de la Frontera in the Ecuadorian Amazon on Friday.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said the operation was part of a broader regional effort against drug traffickers.

“This joint fight against drug traffickers is only the beginning,” Noboa said.

Key countries absent

Notably absent from the summit were Brazil and Mexico, two of the region’s largest powers, as well as Colombia, a long-standing partner in U.S. anti-narcotics efforts.

Trump criticized Mexico during his remarks, calling it the “epicenter of cartel violence.”

“The cartels are running Mexico,” he said. “We can’t have that. Too close to us. Too close to you.”

China’s growing influence

While Trump did not emphasize the issue during his speech, his administration has repeatedly identified China’s influence in the Americas as a major concern.

Officials have pointed to Chinese investments in infrastructure, military cooperation and natural resources across the region.

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