US President Donald Trump (C) stands with, (L/R), Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Santiago Peña, President of the Republic of Paraguay, Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, President of Bolivia, Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador, Javier Milei, President of Argentina, José Raúl Mulino, President of Panama, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, Nasry “Tito” Asfura, President of Honduras, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, President of Costa Rica, José Antonio Kast, President-elect of Chile, and Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín, President of Ecuador, during a group photograph at the start of the “Shield of the Americas” Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, March 7, 2026. President Trump is hosting a dozen right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss issues facing the region, from organized crime to illegal immigration. The summit also aims to serve Washington by boosting US interests in the region and curbing those from foreign powers like China. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Staff Sophia Flores 12:56 PM – Saturday, March 7, 2026
President Donald Trump delivered remarks at the inaugural “Shield of the Americas” summit, unveiling a historic military coalition while vowing to use “lethal military force” to dismantle cartels he called a “cancer” on the Western Hemisphere.
On Saturday in Doral, Florida, a dozen Latin American heads of state attended the coalition’s first meeting to discuss regional security interests and the establishment of what Trump called a “counter-cartel coalition.”
“On this historic day, we come together to announce a brand-new military coalition to eradicate the criminal cartels plaguing our region,” Trump said.
President Trump: “On this historic day, we come together to announce a brand new military coalition to eradicate the criminal cartels plaguing our region… We’re calling this military partnership the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition.”
The most high-profile attendees included Argentinian President Javier Milei, a staunch ally of Trump’s, and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, whose “iron fist” security tactics were frequently cited during the meeting as a model for the coalition. They were joined by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, both of whom have recently deepened military ties with Washington. The Caribbean was represented by Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, highlighting the strategic energy and security importance of those nations.
Leaders from Costa Rica, Bolivia, Panama, and the Dominican Republic also attended, along with Chilean president-elect José Antonio Kast, who appeared just days before his scheduled inauguration.
The absence of top-level leadership from Mexico and Brazil underscored the ideological divide between the emerging coalition and the region’s largest left-leaning economies.
Trump said that just as a coalition was formed to eradicate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), one was need to eradicate the cartels.
“We must recognize that the epicenter of cartel violence is Mexico,” where “the cartels are fueling and orchestrating much of the bloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere.”
President Trump: “Just as we formed a coalition to eradicate ISIS in the Middle East, we must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked the president for making the Western Hemisphere a priority and praised regional leaders as not only allies but friends of the United States.
“At a time when we have learned that an ally, when you need them, may not be there for you, these are countries that have been there for us,” Rubio stated. “We want you to see that when you are a friend and ally to the United States it is a good thing and it is reciprocated back the other way.”
Additionally, Trump formally introduced Kristi Noem as the “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” confirming she will serve as the primary point of contact for the 12 regional leaders and will work directly under Rubio.
The president concluded the “Shield of the Americas Summit” by signing a presidential proclamation titled “Commitment to Countering Cartel Criminal Activity.”
President Trump signs a Commitment to Countering Cartel Criminal Activity Proclamation as he is joined by Latin American leaders.
