Trump Administration Demands Latin America Military Cartel Action

Speaking at the inaugural "Americas Counter Cartel Conference" in Miami, Hegseth emphasized a shift from traditional law enforcement to "hard power" and lethal force, aligning with President Trump's "Trump Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine. This strategy, also dubbed the "Donroe Doctrine," views cartels as terrorist organizations akin to ISIS and al-Qaida. The administration has already designated Mexican and Venezuelan cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and declared an "armed conflict" against them.

This has led to a massive naval deployment, resulting in 44 boat strikes and at least 150 deaths, and the capture of Venezuela's former president, Nicolas Maduro. While conservative governments like Argentina, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Ecuador support this "iron fist" approach, experts like Rebecca Bill Chavez of the Inter-American Dialogue caution that militarizing the fight without strong rule-of-law institutions risks weakening the very institutions needed for long-term stability and could exacerbate human rights abuses in the region.