Trump Urges Latin American Nations to Deploy Military Against Drug Cartels
United States President Donald Trump has called on Latin American countries to use military force to combat powerful drug-trafficking cartels operating across the region.
Speaking on Saturday at the Shield of the Americas Summit held at Trump National Doral Golf Club near Miami, Trump told leaders from several countries in the Western Hemisphere that stronger joint action was needed to curb organized crime.
“Every leader here today is united in the conviction that we cannot and will not tolerate the lawlessness in our hemisphere any longer,” Trump said. “The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our militaries.”
He urged governments to cooperate with the United States in targeting drug cartels, saying both Washington and its regional partners must be ready to deploy their armed forces against criminal networks.
The summit brought together leaders from countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago to discuss security cooperation, migration and anti-drug operations.
Trump also criticised Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, claiming she had rejected his proposal allowing the United States to help eradicate cartel groups operating in Mexico.
“The cartels are running Mexico. We can’t have that,” he said.
The meeting forms part of Washington’s broader push to strengthen influence in Latin America and counter growing economic and political engagement by China in the region. Trump has promoted a revised version of the historic Monroe Doctrine—which he calls the “Donroe Doctrine”—to encourage regional governments to align more closely with the United States.
The summit also took place amid geopolitical tensions linked to the ongoing war involving Iran, which has already unsettled global financial markets and pushed oil prices higher, raising concerns among Latin American economies.
Despite the gathering, some regional powers with left-leaning governments—including Mexico, Brazil and Colombia—were not represented at the summit, highlighting ongoing political divisions across the hemisphere over security cooperation and relations with Washington.
