COMMITMENT TO COUNTERING CARTEL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

On March 7, 2026, President Donald J. Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation outlining a massive regional military and diplomatic effort to dismantle criminal cartels and foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) in the Western Hemisphere.Key highlights of the proclamation include:Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC): The Secretary of War has established a coalition of military leaders and representatives from 17 countries. This coalition is a pledge to "operationalize hard power" (military force) to defeat cartels that currently control territory and extort political systems.Military Mobilization: The United States commits to training and mobilizing the militaries of partner nations to create an effective fighting force capable of destroying the cartels' ability to export violence and exercise organized intimidation.Strategic Objectives:Demolition of Organizations: Cartels and FTOs are to be "demolished to the fullest extent possible."Resource Denial: The U.S. and its allies will coordinate to deprive these groups of territory, financing, and any resources necessary to conduct campaigns of violence.Anti-Interference: A specific goal is to keep "malign foreign influences" from outside the Western Hemisphere at bay, ensuring regional security remains a domestic and allied priority.Justification: The administration frames these cartels as a grave threat to "security and civilization," noting their use of assassinations, terrorism, and military-grade weaponry to undermine the rule of law.The proclamation characterizes this effort as a transition from standard law enforcement to a multi-national military strategy aimed at the total destruction of transnational criminal networks in the Americas.