Washington, United States. White House homeland security advisor Stephen Miller told a gathering of Latin American military leaders on Thursday that drug cartels can only be defeated with military force. His remarks highlighted a shift in U.S. policy under President Donald Trump.
Miller’s remarks at U.S. Southern Command
Miller spoke to Latin American defense leaders gathered at the U.S. Southern Command headquarters, saying decades of effort had shown there was not a criminal justice solution to the cartel problem. He said the conference was focused on military leadership rather than lawyers because, he argued, the organizations could only be defeated with military power.
Actions cited as part of policy shift
The article described the Trump administration’s approach as including the Pentagon regularly blowing up suspected drug boats, seizing the president of Venezuela in January, and aiding Mexico last month in its operation to capture the country’s most wanted cartel boss.
Legal and political criticism
Legal experts and Democrats have questioned the legality of the U.S. strategy and disputed the Trump administration’s policy of equating drug traffickers with members of terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda and Islamic State.
Do you agree with the view that drug cartels can only be defeated with military power?
