Trump tells Latin American leaders that US can use missiles to take out drug cartel leaders

United States president Donald Trump said the U.S. could use missiles to target drug cartel leaders.

He was speaking to Latin American leaders at a regional summit in Miami.

At the Shield of the Americas Summit held at Trump National Doral on Mar. 7, Trump urged governments in the region to use military force against drug cartels, which he described as a “cancer”.

Introducing the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, designed to crush dangerous criminal cartels in the Western Hemisphere.

"The heart of our agreement is a commitment to using lethal military force to destroy the sinister cartels and terrorist networks." - President Donald J.… pic.twitter.com/zPr8ghkoBk

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 7, 2026

"We'll use missiles. You want us to use a missile? They're extremely accurate," Trump said, suggesting the U.S. could help strike cartel leaders if requested.

17-nation “counter-cartel” coalition

The U.S. president also launched a 17-nation “counter-cartel” coalition, which the White House said was a pledge by participating governments to use “hard power” against security threats, such as organised crime.

Leaders attending the summit included Argentina’s Javier Milei, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa.

Some major regional powers, including Mexico and Brazil, were not present at the meeting.

Analysts said their absence could limit the coalition’s effectiveness, as Mexican cartels play a major role in drug trafficking, while Brazil’s ports are key routes for narcotics shipments to Europe.

Cuba next?

Amid ongoing tensions with Iran, Trump also outlined a tougher stance on expanding Washington’s influence in the western hemisphere, claiming communist-led Cuba was in its “last moments of life”.

He suggested the island nation could be "next" after U.S. actions in Venezuela and Iran.

"I’ll take care of Cuba," Trump told the gathering of regional leaders.

He added that Cuba had "no money" and "no oil", describing the country’s political system as a “bad philosophy” and its government as a long-standing “bad regime”.

Separately, the U.S. and Ecuador also announced joint operations to tackle drug trafficking, which has fuelled a surge in violence in Ecuador in recent years.

On Mar.6, the U.S. military and Ecuadorian president Noboa released footage showing a house exploding in a forested area in Ecuador, describing it as a successful strike against “narco-terrorists”.

Top image via The White House on X