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Hegseth urges Latin American allies to go on offense against drug cartels - AP News

🎖️ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Latin American allies that the U.S. will act alone if they fail to combat drug cartels effectively.

🗓️ The remarks were made at the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference in Miami on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

🤝 Hegseth addressed defense officials from Argentina, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic alongside more than a dozen other conservative governments.

⛪ Hegseth emphasized a shared Christian heritage between the U.S. and Latin America, claiming it is at stake due to decades of inaction.

💥 White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller likened hemispheric cartels to ISIS and al-Qaida, advocating for lethal force over criminal justice.

🎯 The administration designates cartels from Mexico and Venezuela as foreign terrorist organizations under its renewed strategic focus on the region.

⚖️ This approach legally justifies 44 drone strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, resulting in at least 150 deaths.

🛥️ A massive naval deployment has enabled a January operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who now faces charges in New York.

🤲 Supporters like El Salvador's Nayib Bukele endorse the militarized "iron fist" strategy against criminal groups.

⚠️ Critics warn that relying on military force weakens civilian rule-of-law institutions in regions with histories of human rights abuses and corruption.

Bullish Signals
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is leading an inaugural 'Americas Counter Cartel Conference' in Doral, Fla., on March 5, 2026, bringing together defense officials from more than a dozen conservative governments including Argentina, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.
  • The Trump administration has designated cartels from Mexico and Venezuela as foreign terrorist organizations and declared an 'armed conflict,' enabling U.S. military operations that have resulted in 44 boat strikes neutralizing suspects in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
  • Ecuador has executed its first joint operations with U.S. military forces against organized crime groups this week, signaling growing regional cooperation following the capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.
  • Former El Salvador president Nayib Bukele's 'mano dura' approach has found support among conservative leaders in the region, validating the administration's aggressive strategy to restore dominance and reduce migration pressures.
Risk Factors
  • The Trump administration has conducted 44 boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in at least 150 deaths, raising significant human rights concerns.
  • Militarizing the fight against cartels relies on U.S. military assets in regions where armed forces have a documented legacy of human rights abuses and weaker institutional oversight.
  • Rebecca Bill Chavez from the Inter-American Dialogue warns that without strong rule-of-law institutions and civilian oversight, militarization can weaken the very institutions needed to defeat organized crime.
  • Corruption remains a perennial challenge in Latin American nations where military deployment against cartels could further erode institutional integrity.
  • The strategy involves designating cartels from Mexico and Venezuela as foreign terrorist organizations and declaring an 'armed conflict' without clear congressional approval, expanding presidential power controversially.
  • A massive naval deployment, unseen since the end of the Cold War, increases regional tensions and potential for unintended escalation in a volatile security environment.
Full Analysis
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday urged Latin American allies to adopt a more aggressive strategy against drug cartels during the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference held at U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Fla., on March 5, 2026. Speaking alongside officials from Argentina, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, among a dozen other conservative governments aligned with President Donald Trump, Hegseth warned that the United States would be compelled to act unilaterally if regional governments fail to effectively combat criminal organizations threatening U.S. border security and national interests. The White House characterized the situation as a conflict comparable to those faced by extremist groups, with Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller comparing hemisphere-based cartels to ISIS and al-Qaida in their rhetoric, stating that "hard power" and lethal force are necessary rather than relying solely on criminal justice mechanisms. Hegseth invoked the historical Monroe Doctrine, coining it the "Trump Corollary," to emphasize a strategic shift toward using U.S. military assets to neutralize cartels blamed for high crime rates and migration pressures. This approach aligns with Trump's designation of Mexican and Venezuelan cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and his declaration that the U.S. is in armed conflict with these groups. This militarized strategy has resulted in significant offensive operations, including dozens of naval strikes on suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, causing at least 150 deaths so far, and a January operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. While this approach has gained support from leaders like El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and marked the first joint military operations between Ecuador and the U.S., experts such as Rebecca Bill Chavez have warned that relying on militaries in regions with histories of human rights abuses and weak oversight risks weakening the civilian institutions essential to defeating organized crime.