Trump Proposes Providing Latin American Heads of State with US Air-to-Ground Missiles to Combat Narcotics Trafficking Organizations

US President Donald Trump called on Latin American nations to utilize military force against the scourge of drug cartels, offering support through US missile strikes targeting key figures, during a gathering on Saturday.

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Trump, who is currently embroiled in a conflict with Iran, outlined a robust stance for advancing US interests in the Western hemisphere, declaring that communist-led Cuba is nearing its demise and advocating for tough action against organized crime plaguing the region.

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A 17-nation "counter cartel" coalition was formally launched by Trump, which the White House described as a commitment from regional governments to employ "hard power" against security threats.

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Trump told a dozen right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean, "We're working with you to do whatever we have to do, and we'll use missiles if needed, which are extremely accurate," suggesting the precision of such strikes.

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He illustrated the potential impact of a missile strike, saying "Piu, right into the living room," implying the sound of a missile in flight, and assured the leaders that the US would provide whatever support was necessary.

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Trump has already made significant inroads in Latin America, including the ouster of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro, and is working with his replacement, Delcy Rodriguez, to claim Venezuelan oil reserves for the US.

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Attendees at the "Shield of the Americas" summit included Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei, Ecuador's Daniel Noboa, and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, whose security crackdown is seen as a model for the region.

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According to Irene Mia, a Latin America expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the right-wing heads of state share concerns about the growing power of drug cartels, which have affected countries previously considered safe, such as Ecuador and Chile.

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Mia noted that the strained security situation has contributed to the recent electoral successes of the Latin American right wing, resulting in less pushback against US intervention.

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Trump emphasized the need for regional leaders to use military force to eradicate criminal organizations, likening them to a cancer, and stated, "We don't want it spreading."

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The US president asserted that the only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of their militaries, saying, "We have to use our military."

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Trump reiterated his warnings towards Cuba, implying that the country could be "next" after the US took action against leaders in Venezuela and Iran, and stated, "I'll take care of Cuba."

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He described Cuba as having "no money, no oil, a bad philosophy, and a bad regime that's been bad for a long time," and claimed, "Cuba's in its last moments of life."

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This warning comes a week after Trump, along with Israel, launched strikes against Iran, sparking a regional conflict and causing chaos in the Gulf.

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The US and Ecuador announced joint operations to combat drug trafficking, which has transformed one of the region's safest countries into one of the deadliest in just a few years.

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A video of a house exploding in a forested area of Ecuador was released by the US military and Noboa, separately, on Friday, claiming it as a successful blow against "narcoterrorists."

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Trump hosted the leaders of Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to Milei, Bukele, and Noboa, as well as Jose Antonio Kast, the president-elect of Chile.

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Notable absences from the gathering included Mexico and Brazil, currently led by leftists Claudia Sheinbaum and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, which, according to Mia, would hinder the success of efforts to tackle narcotrafficking and counterterrorism.

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Mia stated that without the participation of Mexico and Brazil, the initiative would not be successful, given the critical role Mexican cartels play in the trafficking supply chain and the importance of Brazil's ports as narco-trafficking routes to Europe.