Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that a counter-narcotics task force in the Caribbean will be launched under an order from President Trump.
Hegseth explained that the intention of the task force was to destroy the cartels and keep the United States safe from drugs.
The task force will be in SOUTHCOM, which is in the Caribbean and Latin America geographical locations.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday announced that the Department of War (DOW) is establishing a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force in the Caribbean Sea.
Hegseth said the task force’s aim would be to “crush the cartels, stop the poison and keep America safe. The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold.”
The task force is launching at the direction of President Donald Trump, he said, in the SOUTHCOM area, which covers the Caribbean and Latin America.
The Trump administration has aggressively targeted drug boats that were intended to traffic drugs into the United States. Numerous drug boats have been blown up to stop the flow of drugs into our country.
At the President’s direction, the Department of War is establishing a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force in the @SOUTHCOM area of responsibility to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe. The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 10, 2025
“The U.S. Southern Command said in a release that the task force was being launched under the II Marine Expeditionary Force on Friday “to synchronize and augment counter-narcotics efforts across the Western Hemisphere.” Fox News Reported.
TGP reported in October and September of drug boats that have been neutralized by the Trump administration. This has sent a strong message that the US will not tolerate cartels and the drug trade that is destroying numerous lives.
Unclassified video released by the Trump administration from early October shows a drug boat blown up by the United States military. Four smugglers aboard the boat were killed.
Watch:
BREAKING: Drug boat heading to the US from Venezuela just blown up by the US military. 4 smugglers kiIIed. pic.twitter.com/BpiVuszYB8
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 3, 2025
Another video from September shows a drug boat heading to the US obliterated by the Coast Guard.
Watch:
BREAKING: The US Coast Guard has just BLOWN UP a boat carrying drugs bound for the United States
The Trump admin is NOT playing nice with narcoterrorists
It’s about time!
This will save COUNTLESS American lives. pic.twitter.com/LlNkBtFdYq
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 9, 2025