The Pentagon on Friday announced the establishment of a new joint counter-narcotics task force to oversee U.S. military operations in Latin America, a move aimed at intensifying efforts against drug cartels but already drawing scrutiny from legal experts.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the task force’s mission is 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,” Hegseth declared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
According to U.S. officials, the missions have so far focused exclusively on striking suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, with the military reportedly destroying at least four vessels and killing 21 people.
The new operation falls under the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees military activities across Latin America. The command said the task force would be led by the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), an elite unit based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, known for rapid-deployment capabilities.
Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of SOUTHCOM, said the decision would bolster coordination and speed up drug interdiction efforts.“By forming a task force around II MEF headquarters, we enhance our ability to detect, disrupt, and dismantle illicit trafficking networks faster and at greater depth—together with our U.S. and partner-nation counterparts,” Holsey said in a statement.
It remains unclear whether the task force’s creation grants additional authorities to U.S. troops in the region, as President Donald Trump reportedly considers potential military strikes on suspected drug trafficking sites inside Venezuela.
Lieutenant General Calvert Worth, commander of II MEF and head of the new task force, emphasized that operations would remain largely maritime in scope.“This is principally a maritime effort,” Worth said. “Our team will leverage patrols, aerial surveillance, precision interdictions, and intelligence sharing to counter illicit traffic, uphold the rule of law, and protect vulnerable communities at home.”
The strikes have sparked alarm among Democratic lawmakers and concern from legal scholars, who argue that the administration may be testing the limits of presidential power under international and domestic law.
Critics note that the Pentagon has not disclosed what evidence supports the targeting of vessels or the individuals killed, nor what type of weapons or platforms were used. Some former military lawyers contend the administration’s justification for lethal action against suspected traffickers fails to meet law-of-war standards, which require exhausting non-lethal options such as warning shots before using force.
Experts have also questioned why the U.S. military, rather than the Coast Guard—the nation’s main maritime law enforcement body—is carrying out such operations.
Last week, the Pentagon informed Congress in a classified notification, reviewed by Reuters, that President Trump had determined the United States is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict.” The document reportedly outlines the legal rationale behind authorizing the use of military force in the Caribbean.