DORAL, Fla. — President Donald J Trump on Saturday unveiled a new multinational military coalition aimed at dismantling drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere, signing a proclamation at the inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit that commits the U.S. and 17 partner nations to using lethal force against these criminal networks.
The Shield of the Americas, a newly formed organization announced at the summit, seeks to promote shared goals among hemispheric nations, including security, prosperity, free commerce and the rule of law. Modeled as a platform for collaboration, it aims to counter threats like organized crime and external influences, filling what Trump called a long-standing void in U.S. attention to its own backyard.
Key attendees included Argentine President Javier Milei, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, Paraguay’s Santiago Peña, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, Panama’s José Raúl Mulino, Honduras’ Tito Asfura, Guyana’s Irfaan Ali, Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Costa Rica’s Rodrigo Chaves and President-elect Laura Fernández Delgado, Dominican Republic’s Luis Abinader, and Chile’s President-elect José Antonio Kast. U.S. officials present were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others.
Trump described a 96% drop in sea-based drug trafficking and a 67% reduction in fentanyl inflows into the United States, crediting his administration’s border policies. He touted U.S. successes in curbing drug trafficking and praised the coalition as a vital step to eradicate cartels that he described as a “cancer” plaguing the Americas.
“We need your help. You have to just tell us where they are,” Trump told South and Central American leaders, stressing the use of advanced U.S. weaponry to eradicate cartels.
President Trump singled out Mexico as the “epicenter of cartel violence,” explaining that drugs flow through its borders despite his rapport with President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. He vowed U.S. action to protect national security, while urging zero tolerance for gang activity across nations.
On Venezuela, Trump praised the recent raid that ousted Nicolás Maduro, leading to recognition of the new government under Delcy Rodríguez and a “historic gold deal” boosting economic ties.
Cuba, he said, was in its “last moments” under its current regime, predicting a swift deal to usher in change.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in brief remarks, thanked Trump for prioritizing the region and called the leaders not just allies but friends with “extraordinary potential.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed the theme of “peace through strength,” invoking a “Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine” and described the Western coalition as an “action” group to combat cartels aggressively.
President Trump, at the summit, signed a proclamation, titled “Commitment to Countering Cartel Criminal Activity,” formalizing the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, established earlier in the week by Secretary Hegseth. The proclamation designates cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and commits to mobilizing militaries and training forces to strip them of territory, financing and influence.
Author: Mario Lotmore
