WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump is urging Latin American countries to use military force against drug cartels, comparing the criminal networks to ISIS and calling for a coordinated regional crackdown.
The proposal is part of a broader initiative announced by the administration called the Shield of the Americas, a framework aimed at strengthening security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere.
Trump has called on leaders in Latin America to identify the locations of cartel operatives so the United States and partner countries could target them. The approach would rely on cooperation through a new alliance known as the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, which is designed to coordinate intelligence sharing, law enforcement and potentially military operations among participating countries.
Trump has compared the threat posed by drug cartels to the global fight against ISIS, suggesting a coalition strategy similar to the international campaign against the extremist group.
However, experts say there are key differences, especially related to motivation.
While ISIS is an ideological terrorist organization, most cartels operate as profit-driven criminal enterprises focused on drug trafficking and other illegal activities.
The Shield of the Americas is a new regional security strategy designed to coordinate countries in North, Central and South America to combat drug cartels, transnational crime, migration networks and foreign influence.
DORAL, FLORIDA – MARCH 07: U.S. President Donald Trump waits to greet dignitaries as he hosts “The Shield of the Americas Summit ,“ a gathering with heads of state and government officials from 12 countries in the Americas at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on March 7, 2026 in Doral, Florida. The White House describes the gathering as a landmark summit aimed at reshaping regional alliances and reinforcing U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
The initiative includes several components:
The administration has linked the strategy to a broader foreign policy approach it calls the “Donroe Doctrine,” modeled after the “Monroe Doctrine” in 1823, that focused on strengthening U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.
Several countries in the region have already used military force to combat organized crime.
In Mexico, the government deployed thousands of troops more than a decade ago in what became known as its war on drug cartels.
Meanwhile, Honduras has used states of emergency that temporarily suspended some constitutional rights in an effort to dismantle gang and cartel networks.
Experts say those strategies have produced mixed results. In some cases, they weakened major criminal groups, but they also contributed to new violence as cartels splintered into smaller factions competing for power.
Cartel violence remains a major issue in parts of the region. Last month, violence erupted in several communities after a cartel leader was killed, leaving at least 73 people dead and disrupting daily life.
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