Trump Floats New Military Coalition

The "Shield of the Americas" summit convened at Trump's Doral resort in Miami, bringing together leaders from 12 allied Latin American and Caribbean nations, including Argentina, El Salvador, and Ecuador. However, major regional powers like Brazil and Mexico were notably absent from the gathering. The 17-nation military alliance is formally named the "Americas Counter Cartel Coalition" (A3C). Its stated goals are to use military force to dismantle drug cartels, enhance border security, and counter the influence of foreign adversaries within the Western Hemisphere. This announcement follows months of direct U.S. military action under "Operation Southern Spear," which has involved airstrikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific allegedly operated by narco-terrorists. As of February 2026, these strikes had resulted in at least 151 fatalities. In October 2025, the Trump administration formally notified Congress that the U.S. was in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels. Administration officials have equated these cartels with terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, stating they can only be defeated with military power. The summit's agenda also reflects a broader strategy to reassert U.S. influence and push back against China's growing economic presence in Latin America. This initiative is part of a hemispheric strategy the administration has dubbed the "Donroe Doctrine," a modern interpretation of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine. Regarding Cuba, the tough rhetoric signals a continued reversal of the Obama-era normalization of relations. During his first term, Trump had already increased travel and financial restrictions and allowed U.S. nationals to sue entities benefiting from property confiscated by the Cuban government.