Trump Confirms Ground Strikes Against Latin American Cartels
The announcement follows months of new deployments and lethal maritime actions, with a separate claim of a strike on ISIS in Nigeria.
Overview
- In a Christmas address to U.S. forces from Mar-a-Lago, President Trump said the campaign against Latin American cartels will now “fight on land.”
- He asserted that maritime drug trafficking to the United States has dropped by 96% due to military measures, presenting ground attacks as the next phase.
- Previous reporting cited a classified directive authorizing force against cartels and noted the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group’s deployment to the Caribbean.
- Recent U.S. naval operations reportedly destroyed more than 20 small boats off Latin America with nearly 100 deaths, and Colombia’s president said one victim was a fisherman.
- Separately, Trump announced a “powerful and deadly” U.S. strike on ISIS in northwest Nigeria, while Nigeria’s presidency highlighted far lower nationwide terror fatality figures this year.