U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a major expansion of military cooperation across Latin America as Washington intensifies its campaign against drug cartels operating throughout the region.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, Trump said the United States was prepared to use its military power against organizations it considers threats to security in the Western Hemisphere.

The strategy centres around the Shield of the Americas, a U.S.-led coalition bringing together Latin American and Caribbean governments to coordinate efforts against drug trafficking and organized crime.

Countries participating in the initiative include Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru, while major regional powers including Mexico and Brazil have remained outside the coalition.

The campaign represents a significant shift in how Washington is confronting drug trafficking.

Since 2025, the U.S. military has carried out dozens of strikes against vessels suspected of transporting narcotics through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The Trump administration has also designated numerous Latin American criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations.

Some governments in the region have expanded military cooperation with Washington. Ecuador has participated in joint operations with the United States, while Colombia has moved toward deeper cooperation targeting trafficking routes along the Pacific and its border with Ecuador.

Trump told the UN that the United States intends to take a much more aggressive approach toward cartels, describing them as a major security threat to the hemisphere.

The strategy, however, has generated controversy.

Human rights organizations and other critics have questioned the legality of lethal strikes against suspected traffickers and warned about expanding U.S. military involvement in Latin America. Supporters of increased cooperation argue that heavily armed cartels have grown powerful enough that traditional policing alone is no longer sufficient.

With Washington seeking additional regional cooperation, the fight against organized crime could become one of the biggest geopolitical issues facing Latin America over the coming year.

The question now is how far Latin American governments will be willing to go in joining the U.S.-led campaign.