Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had a simple message for Latin American allies on Wednesday: it's time to get serious about taking down the cartels. Speaking at a coalition meeting in Panama, he urged members to take concrete, coordinated action against transnational trafficking networks, and he even gave the group a new slogan to rally around.
Pete Hegseth Urges Latin American Allies to Join US-Led Cartel Fight: ‘We Do Bad Things to Bad People’
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urges Latin American allies to join the US-led campaign against drug cartels and deepen military cooperation
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Hegseth Unveils New Anti-Cartel Coalition Motto
"The new motto of the A3C is ‘We do bad things to bad people,'" Hegseth told the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition. He warned traffickers they were about to meet a "new sheriff in town," while pushing for deeper military cooperation among member nations.
President Donald Trump launched the Shield of the Americas initiative back in March, with the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition serving as its military and security arm. Washington has already deployed F-35 fighters to Puerto Rico as operations against designated narco-terrorist groups expand.
Colombia Deepens Military Cooperation With Washington
Hegseth said Colombia's new government had authorized "joint military operations to destroy terrorists and terror networks." Reuters reported that he also left the door open for joint U.S.-Colombian strikes against groups Washington designates as terrorists. Colombia became the coalition's 19th member this week, a notable shift after months of strained relations under former President Gustavo Petro.
U.S. Southern Command activated Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere on Aug. 4 to integrate intelligence, surveillance, planning, and multinational coordination. Commander Gen. Francis Donovan said the unit would apply sustained pressure on criminal networks while strengthening cooperation with regional partners.
Legal Questions Shadow Expanding Cartel Campaign
More than 200 people have died since U.S. forces began striking suspected drug-smuggling boats last September, according to Reuters. Critics have questioned the legality of these attacks, but Hegseth insists the campaign complies with international humanitarian law. Congressional Democrats also raised potential legal concerns over the strikes back in June.
Mexico, meanwhile, continues to resist U.S. military operations on its soil. President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasized sovereignty while maintaining security cooperation with Washington, a tension that became clear when Trump first escalated his anti-cartel strategy.
Hegseth pressed participating governments to move faster in the months ahead. "When we say we will dismantle the cartels, we mean it," he said, pledging continued U.S. support for coalition operations across the hemisphere.
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