Trump Calls Latin American Cartels 'The ISIS of the Western Hemisphere', Vows to Eliminate Them 'Once And For All'

President Donald Trump likened transnational drug cartels to ISIS and vowed to "eliminate the cartel presence in America once and for all," as he praised a nationwide law-enforcement effort and signaled possible expansion of military operations.

"It should now be clear to the entire world that these cartels are the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere," adding that:

"In addition to their monstrous violence, such as cutting off heads and burning their enemies alive, and burning innocent people alive, too, by the way. They maintain vast arsenals of weapons and soldiers, and they use extortion, murder, and kidnapping to exercise political and economic control"

The president also vowed to "eliminate the cartel presence in America once and for all." He then touted the Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) he created on Jan. 20, explaining that it had produced "spectacular" results and "made the largest number of arrests of cartel leaders, operatives and gang members in American history, more than 3,000 and counting," as Deseret points out.

Administration figures also used the meeting to present large seizure totals tied to the effort: more than 2 million fentanyl pills, roughly 70 tons of other drugs, $3 million in cash and more than 1,000 illegal weapons. The White House also said the government has recorded more than 120,000 arrests related to organized crime and illegal immigration since January.

"We're not mitigating, we're eliminating," Trump said, describing the task forces as fully operational across all 50 states. Attorney General Pam Bondi told the roundtable the effort is permanent: "We're dismantling the cartels and we are taking the leaders into custody."

The meeting came amid a broader U.S. campaign that has included naval operations and lethal strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has framed the strikes as part of a counter-narcotics and counter-terror approach, warning there will be "no refuge or forgiveness." Officials say nine strikes have killed at least 37 people; the Pentagon has described the actions as aimed at drug-trafficking networks.

Trump also suggested the operations could extend to land during a press conference after the aforementioned meeting:

"The land is going to be next. And we may go to the Senate; we may go to the Congress and tell them about it, but I can't imagine they'd have any problem with it."