Officials tout military strikes as cartel activity declines in the region

U.S. Southern Command carried out a lethal strike on a fast boat along a known trafficking route, as senior administration officials defended President Donald Trump’s use of military force against alleged cartel networks in the Western Hemisphere.

Officials said counter-narcotics operations had reduced illicit maritime activity by 65% in the Western Caribbean, 60% in the eastern Caribbean and nearly 50% in key Eastern Pacific regions. They described the strikes as a deterrent, while acknowledging that the policy has been controversial.

Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere chief Gen. Francis L. Donovan said the task force would “hunt, disrupt, and defeat” cartel networks.

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