Trump Establishes Multi-National Coalition to Eradicate Latin American Cartels with Military Force

On Saturday, March 7, 2026, President Donald Trump formalized the creation of America’s Coalition Against Cartels (ACCC) during the "Shield of the Americas" Summit held at the Trump National Doral golf club in Florida. This new multinational alliance, which includes the United States and between 10 and 17 other nations, is mandated to utilize lethal military power to dismantle drug cartels and foreign terrorist organizations across the Western Hemisphere. President Trump asserted that "unleashing the power of our militaries" is the only viable path to victory, dismissing decades of law enforcement-based strategies as inadequate. Supporting this shift, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller equated these criminal organizations to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, insisting that only overwhelming military strength can secure the region.

This strategic escalation coincides with active U.S. military engagements in Ecuador, which commenced on March 3, 2026. General Francis Donovan, Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), previously outlined these joint ground operations between American and Ecuadorian forces as a direct strike against "Designated Terrorist Organizations" (DTOs). Further intensifying the campaign, Military Department spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed a precision strike on an Ecuadorian supply complex on March 6, intended to cripple cartel logistics. These actions follow a period of heightened maritime activity; since September 2025, U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels have resulted in at least 148 fatalities.

The "Shield of the Americas" Summit represents the first major multilateral gathering with Latin American leaders during Trump's second term. It signals a significant pivot in foreign policy, characterized by the "Trump Amendment to the Monroe Doctrine," which seeks to neutralize "hostile foreign influence," specifically targeting Chinese interests in the region. By reviving and expanding this doctrine, the administration has designated the Western Hemisphere as an exclusive U.S. sphere of influence, creating a unified front against the collective threats of China, Cuba, Venezuela, and the cartels.

During a preliminary conference at SOUTHCOM headquarters in Doral on March 5, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth condemned previous regional policies as "benign neglect." He emphasized that the ACCC represents a firm commitment to "hard power" rather than diplomatic platitudes. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence lauded the administration's broader resolve, specifically citing the February 28, 2026, joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Pence described the action as a "logical and just response" to Iran's long-standing campaign of violence, linking the administration's decisiveness in the Middle East to its current posture in Latin America.

High-level officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were joined at the summit by regional leaders including Argentina’s Javier Milei, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa. However, the absence of Mexico and Brazil—the two most influential powers in Latin America—was notably apparent. As the administration moves forward with "Operation Epic Fury" following the Khamenei assassination, significant questions persist regarding the legal justification for deploying missile strikes and military force against non-state actors within the borders of sovereign nations.