Hegseth vows ISIS-style campaign against cartels, US to be region's 'partner of choice'

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday (August 12) the U.S. military will target drug cartels with the same tactics used against ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

Speaking at a jungle operations training course in Panama, Hegseth said any group trafficking drugs or threatening Americans would be a military target.

“Anywhere you traffic drugs or you threaten the American people or our partners, you are a target just like ISIS or Al-Qaeda,” he said.

The fight, he said, stretches “from all the way down here in the cocaine trafficking to fentanyl and the plazas of Mexico,” and will be run jointly by U.S. Southern Command and Northern Command.  “This is a networked fight that we're empowering... to execute ruthlessly,” Hegseth said.  

Hegseth also contrasted U.S. partnerships with those of U.S. rivals.

“It is overwhelmingly clear that the United States of America is the preferred partner of choice. There are a lot of foreign actors that bring in other influences, whether it be China, Russia, or Iran,” Hegseth said, citing failed Russian air defenses in Caracas and the expulsion of Cubans and Russians from Venezuela.

“What happens with some of these other countries... is there happens to be a lot of exploitation and self-serving. The United States of America shows up, and we want to respect your sovereignty and find ways to mutually work together,” he added.