At a meeting of the Shield of the Americas coalition during the UN General Assembly in New York City, US President Donald Trump urged member countries to designate 24 criminal organizations as common threats and apply sanctions against them. These groups include major drug cartels like Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and Colombia’s National Liberation Army, as well as gangs such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. The coalition consists of governments aligned with Trump, including Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru; Brazil and Mexico are not part of the alliance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the coalition's efforts against transnational terrorism.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump hosted a Shield of the Americas event in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly. The coalition, established by Trump in 2026, aims to combat drug violence and organized cartels across North and South America. At a summit earlier in March held in Doral, Florida, Trump announced the creation of the “Americas Counter Cartel Coalition,” aiming to curb drug-related violence in the Western Hemisphere.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Trump pledged to use "unmatched military might" against 24 criminal organizations he deems as major threats. These include groups like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Tren de Aragua, which have been labeled “terrorist” by Washington. The coalition, comprising 15 governments, issued a joint statement committing to impose asset freezes and visa restrictions on members of these targeted organizations.
While emphasizing regional cooperation against narco-terrorism, Colombian Vice President José Manuel Restrepo clarified during an interview with Fox News Digital that while Colombia supports the initiative, U.S. forces will not be conducting operations within its borders; instead, it will be handled by Colombian troops. This underscores efforts to ensure sovereignty and security in Latin America amidst shifting political dynamics across the region.
Written for “Trump Shield of the Americas Speech” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
United States President Donald Trump has pledged to use “unmatched military might” against drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere during a meeting of the Washington-led Shield of the Americas coalition in New York City.
uncertain
Trump → pledge → City
In a meeting with leaders and foreign ministers from the anti-cartel alliance, Trump on Tuesday urged member countries to join the US in targeting 24 criminal organisations, which he earlier described as the “ISIS of the Western Hemisphere”.
asserted
he → urge → Hemisphere
list of 3 items- list 1 of 3US removes Venezuela from drug list, Trump says
- list 2 of 3Why United Nations says US boat strikes may be ‘crimes against humanity’
- list 3 of 3Venezuelans protest interim leader Delcy Rodriguez at UN headquarters
He said he was asking “all nations in the Shield of the Americas to formally designate narco-terrorists as common threats to stability and apply crushing sanctions” against all of the groups.
uncertain
he → remove → groups
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
asserted
meeting → take → City
The coalition’s 15 governments later issued a joint statement saying they intended to impose asset freezes and visa restrictions on members and supporters of the groups and to pursue criminal charges against them.
asserted
they → issue → them
At the top of the list are two groups that have been declared “terrorist” organisations by Washington: Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) – one of Central America’s most powerful criminal gangs – and Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that is also active in Colombia, Peru and Chile.
asserted
that → declare → Colombia
The list also includes major Mexican cartels, Colombian armed groups such as the National Liberation Army, Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho groups, and Peru’s Shining Path.
asserted
list → include → Army
Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti, reporting from Bogota, Colombia, said the statement was largely symbolic for now, because each country must follow its own legal procedures.
asserted
country → report → procedures
“For example, here in Colombia, it will require a law to pass in Congress.
asserted
it → require → Congress
We understand that the government here has asked Congress to move forward in drafting such a law.
asserted
government → understand → law
So while the consequences may not be immediate, this is clearly an important step towards building what the US has been trying to do in Latin America [through] this alliance,” he added.
uncertain
he → build → alliance
The coalition is made up of governments closely aligned with Trump, including Argentina, Ecuador and El Salvador, whose leaders he has praised or endorsed.
asserted
he → make → leaders
Colombia and Peru joined after Trump-aligned presidents took office in recent months.
asserted
presidents → join → months
Brazil and Mexico have not joined.
asserted
Brazil → join → ?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also attended, praised “the emergence of strong leaders who are committed to the challenge of taking on transnational terrorism”.
asserted
who → attend → terrorism
The gathering was the administration’s latest effort to rally the region behind a more aggressive approach to drug trafficking.
asserted
gathering → rally → trafficking
Since returning to office last year, Trump has designated cartels as foreign terrorist organisations and ordered dozens of strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that US officials say were carrying narcotics bound for the US.
asserted
officials → return → US
The strikes have killed more than 223 people, and UN experts say they violate international law and could amount to crimes against humanity.
uncertain
they → kill → humanity
The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy, released late last year, laid out plans for a revamped Monroe Doctrine, the 19th-century policy asserting US primacy in the hemisphere that critics associate with decades of US intervention.
asserted
critics → release → intervention
Trump has also spoken of retaking the Panama Canal and annexing Greenland and Canada.
asserted
Trump → speak → Greenland
On Tuesday, he signed an agreement on Greenland that stopped short of his demand that the island become US territory.
asserted
island → sign → demand
The focus on the hemisphere has raised concerns across the region.
asserted
focus → raise → region
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in his UN speech, bristled at the approach, warning countries in Latin America and the Caribbean of “renewed hegemonic temptations”.
asserted
Silva → bristle → temptations
“Brazil is nobody’s back yard,” Lula said.
asserted
Lula → say → ?
The Aporia
