Critics sceptical Pentagon chief’s plan for increased military force – amid rising US intervention – will stop drug gangs
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has urged Latin American countries to adopt a more aggressive approach against drug cartels, warning that the Trump administration may otherwise act unilaterally in the region.
Hegseth’s remarks come in a context of escalating US intervention in the region, both militarily and in elections, which culminated in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro – the first US ground military attack on a South American country.
For months, the Trump administration has used the so-called “war on drugs” to justify strikes on small boats that have killed 152 people and the months-long military build-up along Venezuela’s borders – although the US president later admitted that his main objective was the country’s vast oil reserves.
“America is prepared to take on these threats and go on offence alone if necessary. However, it is our preference, and it is the goal of this conference, that in the interest of this neighbourhood, we all do it together with you,” said Hegseth in a speech to defence leaders from countries aligned with Donald Trump at US Southern Command in Miami.
