Cartels Be Gone: Latin American Allies Sign Historic Joint Proclamation with President Trump

2026-03-09 - 15:55

President Donald J. Trump’s luxury resort in Doral, Florida this past weekend was home to one of the most unprecedented agreements in modern hemispheric security cooperation between the Commander-in-Chief and 12 of the Latin American region’s most conservative yet influential heads of state. Leaders from Argentina, El Salvador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago were present for the summit. Purposely excluded were some of the region’s largest yet leftist governments, including Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. The decision was deliberate, especially given recent developments in those countries. Venezuela is still navigating the aftermath of the extradition of narcodictator Nicolás Maduro to the United States, leaving behind a questionable political situation in the country. Colombia remains under the leadership of Gustavo Petro, a narcoliberal authoritarian whose political trajectory has long intersected with guerrilla groups tied to organized crime. Guatemala has also faced growing controversy under its left-wing leadership following accusations of institutional overreach and political retaliation against prosecutors and anti-corruption officials. Mexico, under President Claudia Sheinbaum, has faced mounting criticism for appearing weak and ineffective against the deeply entrenched cartel culture and corruption that continue to plague even the highest levels of government there. Despite several other countries expected to attend ultimately being absent, the proclamation, which was signed by 17 allied countries, sought to formalize an international understanding between the United States and its partners across the Western Hemisphere to take concrete action against criminal drug cartel activity, including the dismantling of networks increasingly treated as foreign terrorist organizations. The announcement also comes at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension as the United States continues launching precise, targeted strikes within Iran. A Hemisphere Finally Confronting Cartel Power The proclamation represents the strongest and most vocal stance yet taken by Latin American leaders against cartel violence in the region. Countries that have endured decades of corruption, crime, and instability fueled by sophisticated criminal organizations are now signaling a willingness to confront those threats more aggressively and in coordination with Washington. For the United States, the implications are equally significant. The agreement represents a potentially hardline response to trafficking operations responsible not only for illegal migration flows but also for the smuggling of narcotics into the United States. These drugs have robbed countless Americans of their lives and devastated families and communities across the country. The opioid crisis alone has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and altered the trajectory of millions of American families. Alongside President Trump’s unprecedented designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which allows increased resources for law enforcement, intelligence gathering, and surveillance, the agreement directs the Secretary of War to establish the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition. The coalition represents a formal security partnership between the United States and the military institutions of participating Latin American countries. Through this coalition, participating nations would increase intelligence sharing, coordinate enforcement actions, and extend military support when necessary to dismantle cartel leadership and trafficking networks. In practice, the initiative treats cartel activity not simply as organized crime but as a regional security threat requiring coordinated military and intelligence responses across the hemisphere. The Emergence of the “Donroe Doctrine” Drawing inspiration from the historic Monroe Doctrine, the emerging “Donroe Doctrine” reflects a modern adaptation of that principle for the 21st century. While the original Monroe Doctrine warned European powers against interfering in the Western Hemisphere, this updated framework focuses on confronting transnational cartel networks, narco-terrorism, and the growing geopolitical influence of adversarial regimes such as China and Iran. In this framework, cartel violence is no longer treated as isolated criminal activity but as a hemispheric security threat that requires coordinated military, intelligence, and financialaction. If the Monroe Doctrine was designed to keep foreign empires out of the Americas, the Donroe Doctrine seeks to ensure that criminal empires within the hemisphere no longer dictate its future. Another key component of this strategy involves dismantling the financial backbone that allows cartels to survive and expand. These criminal organizations operate through vast illicit financial networks tied to drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. By applying coordinated financial pressure, including sanctions and other legal mechanisms available within each participating country’s laws, coalition members aim to eliminate the resources that allow cartels to continue fueling violence and instability across the region. Rubio, Hegseth, and the Political Undercurrents But beyond that, the most audible message wasn’t even what was spoken at this press conference in Doral, nor the joint agreement signed – rather, it was the body language espoused by President Trump toward Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Throughout the event, President Trump repeatedly praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighting his diplomatic engagement with regional leaders and his bilingual ability to communicate directly with them. The President’s continued recognition of Rubio’s work stood out, particularly since much of the operational framework of the initiative involved Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. At one point, Rubio translated portions of the remarks into Spanish for the assembled leaders, reinforcing the administration’s effort to engage directly with the region. Shortly afterward, Hegseth took the podium and remarked that while he “may not” speak Spanish, he speaks “American.” The room responded with laughter, though the comment still raised a quiet question about whether the remark was even necessary, particularly given the setting and the repeated praise President Trump had just directed toward Rubio’s bilingual abilities. President Trump also made striking remarks regarding Cuba, suggesting at one point that the island appears to be in what he described as its “last moments of life.” The statement underscored the administration’s continued hardline posture toward authoritarian regimes in the region. The Doral proclamation signals what may become a historic shift in hemispheric security policy. The summit made one point unmistakably clear: under President Trump’s leadership, a coalition of Latin American governments is prepared to confront cartel power directly and defend the hemisphere from both criminal empires and hostile foreigninfluence. If successful, the Doral summit may ultimately be remembered as the moment the Western Hemisphere embraced a new doctrine for confronting the cartel era and resisting the growing influence of adversaries such as China and Iran.