President Trump on Tuesday urged a coalition of Latin American countries to declare drug cartels foreign terrorists and use their military might against them.
He said that if they can’t eradicate the cartels, the U.S. will do it for them.
“Today, I’m asking all nations in the Shield of the Americas to formally designate narco terrorists as a common threat to stability and apply crushing sanctions to all 24 U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations,” Mr. Trump said at a meeting of South American and Central American officials at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
“You can take them out yourself,” he said. “But if you can’t, we’ll do it for you.”
The coalition, known as the Shield of the Americas, includes Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru. Brazil and Mexico, however, are notable countries in the region that have not joined.
The president said that the Shield of the Americas has saved “hundreds of thousands” of lives from fentanyl overdoses and seized more than $4 billion in cartel money. He said fentanyl imports into the U.S. are down 97% since he took office.
Mr. Trump said the U.S. is “eager” to work with the coalition to eradicate the drug cartels.
Since returning to the WHite House, Mr. Trump has taken an aggressive approach against the drug cartels, including U.S. military strikes on drug boats and seeking greater cooperation with Latin American countries. He also designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Shield of the Americas was launched in March.
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