Stephen Miller Tells Latin American Leaders Cartels That Cartels 'Can Only Be Defeated With Military Power'

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told Latin American leaders that cartels "can only be defeated with military power."

Miller made the remarks in the context of the Shield of the Americas Summit, where the Trump administration is hosting friendly Latin American governments in Miami to discuss security matters.

Miller said that there has been a "paradigm shift under president trump in the Western Hemisphere in the past 14 months" under the second Trump administration and that "we're not going to cede an inch of territory to our enemies or adversaries."

"For too long we have allowed foreign enemies, adversaries, and enemy terrorist organizations to control territory and spaces in this hemisphere. Where they can project power, threats and directly threaten the lives of your citizens and ours," Miller added.

He went on to say that the administration is using "military power and lethal force to protect and defend the American homeland," and called on officials to follow suit. "Not a single one of your nations should tolerate the existence of a single square mile of territory that is under the control of any entity other than the sovereign governments of your country," Miller said.

"There's not a criminal justice solution to the cartel problem. There are elements that require criminal justice solutions, to be sure. But just as we fought Al-Qaeda and ISIS with the tip of a very lethal sphere, the reason why this is a conference with military leadership and not lawyers is that these organizations can only be defeated with military power," he concluded.

The administration has been pushing administrations in the region to forcefully crack down on these organizations. Mexico is perhaps the most notable example, with reports claiming that the Claudia Sheinbaum administration was recently under pressure to launch an operation against Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho" and longtime leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, which ended with his killing.

Moreover, the Southern Command announced this week that U.S. forces played a role in operations in Ecuador aimed at weakening "designated terrorist organizations" inside the South American country.

Although few details were released about what the operations entail, the military suggested the effort is an extension of the strikes carried out by the Trump administration against suspected drug cartels in the region.

"We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco terrorists in their country," said Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command.