Trump Assembles Latin American Coalition to 'Eradicate' Cartels

The president called for military force to defeat drug-trafficking groups across the Western Hemisphere.

Mar. 7, 2026 at 10:49pm

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At a summit in Florida, President Trump announced the formation of a new 'Americas Counter Cartel Coalition' of Latin American countries that would employ military force to defeat drug-trafficking groups. Trump said the U.S. military was already 'knocking the hell out of them' and asked the leaders to help 'eradicate the criminal cartels plaguing our region.' The one-day summit brought together leaders from 12 Latin American countries as well as senior U.S. officials.

Why it matters

This represents a major escalation of the U.S. government's efforts to combat drug cartels in Latin America, with the Trump administration seeking to build a regional military coalition to take on these criminal organizations. It reflects the president's vision of reasserting U.S. dominance in the region through an aggressive, militarized approach.

The details

The summit drew some of Trump's staunchest allies, such as the presidents of Argentina and El Salvador. The U.S. has already deployed military resources to the region on a scale not seen in decades, including over 40 strikes on boats alleged to be carrying drugs. The administration has also designated more than a dozen Latin American groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Trump said the new coalition would employ the same tactics used against ISIS in the Middle East.

  • The summit was held on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
  • In January 2026, the U.S. military attacked Caracas to remove Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro.
  • In February 2026, U.S. intelligence helped Mexican authorities locate the region's most notorious cartel kingpin, Rubén Oseguera Cervantes.

The players

President Trump

The president of the United States who called for the formation of the new 'Americas Counter Cartel Coalition' to combat drug cartels in Latin America.

Marco Rubio

The U.S. Secretary of State who attended the summit.

Javier Milei

The president of Argentina, one of Trump's staunchest allies who attended the summit.

Nayib Bukele

The president of El Salvador, another of Trump's staunch allies who attended the summit.

Claudia Sheinbaum

The president of Mexico, who has collaborated with the Trump administration but refused to allow unilateral U.S. military action on Mexican soil.

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What they’re saying

“Just as we formed a coalition to eradicate ISIS in the Middle East, we must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home.”

— President Trump (nytimes.com)

“Now that America is secure and our borders are secure, we want to focus on our neighbors.”

— Kristi Noem, Special Envoy to the Summit (nytimes.com)

“I am not right-wing. I come with a clear idea that Bolivia must have a continental role. Bolivia is opening itself to the world.”

— Rodrigo Paz, President of Bolivia (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case against Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the region's most notorious cartel kingpin, will decide on Tuesday whether to allow him to be extradited to the United States.

The takeaway

This summit represents a major escalation of the U.S. government's militarized approach to combating drug cartels in Latin America, with the Trump administration seeking to build a regional coalition to take on these criminal organizations. It raises concerns about the legality and ethics of using military force against civilians, as well as the long-term effectiveness of such tactics in stemming the flow of drugs.