While the Shield of the Americas Summit, hosted by President Donald Trump at the Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, is set for Saturday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller laid some groundwork for the summit on Thursday.
Speaking at U.S. Southern Command Headquarters, Doral, Florida, Hegseth and Miller addressed the Americas Counter Cartel Conference, which "brings together regional defense and security leaders from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to coordinate against cartels and narco-terrorism."
Our Bob Hoge detailed Hegseth's remarks earlier on Thursday.
As noted, Miller also addressed the conference — which included defense and security leaders from Argentina, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago — and, as you might expect, did not mince words.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Stephen Miller just said it loudly to Latin American heads of state, this is OUR HEMISPHERE, our adversaries and the cartels can screw off 🔥
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2026
"Not a SINGLE one of your nations should tolerate the existence of a SINGLE square mile of territory that is under the… pic.twitter.com/viY6L3ncBc
"We are not going to cede an inch of territory in this hemisphere to our enemies or our adversaries!
"Our national security, our homeland security, the safety and well-being of our people begins at home, begins in our neighborhood, begins in our home region.
"And for too long, we have allowed foreign enemies, foreign adversaries, and enemy terrorist organizations to control territory and spaces in this hemisphere where they can project power, project threats, and directly threaten the lives of your citizens and our citizens.
"And so, under the leadership of President Trump, we are using hard power, military power, lethal force to protect and defend the American homeland.
“Not a single one of your nations should tolerate the existence of a single square mile of territory that is under the control of any entity other than the sovereign governments of your country!
"The idea that we would have in this hemisphere areas that are under the physical control of foreign terrorist organizations, paramilitary organizations, is completely unacceptable!
"The cartels that operate in this hemisphere are the ISIS and the al-Qaida of the Western Hemisphere.”
Miller noted that the cartel problem is not one that can be addressed primarily via criminal justice or law enforcement, but rather via military action.
🚨 BREAKING: Stephen Miller tells Latin American presidents the ONLY way to destroy the cartels in the West is death and destruction, NOT "criminal justice"
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2026
"You're dealing with a lot of lawyers in your own country, I'm sure. You have my permission NOT to listen to them!" 🔥… pic.twitter.com/5cIJLTFlB6
"[What] we have learned, after decades of effort, is that there is not a criminal justice solution to the cartel problem.
"There are elements of the problem that require a criminal justice solution, to be sure, but just as we fought al-Qaeda and fought ISIS with the tip of a very lethal spear, the reason why this is a conference with military leadership and not a conference of lawyers is because these organizations can only be defeated with military power.”
“And I see some heads nodding up front because they understand. You’re dealing with a lot of lawyers in your own country, I’m sure. You have my permission NOT to listen to them!
"The key condition of human flourishing, of prosperity, is order and security."
Miller also emphasized that the foremost priority for any country should be to secure its territory.
🚨 JUST IN: Stephen Miller tells Latin American heads of state to IGNORE the globalists demanding they back away from nationalism
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2026
He's on fire 🔥
"When people come to your countries and tell you anything other than first and foremost secure your country and territory? They're… pic.twitter.com/vsNLCoPvVn
“There have been centuries of previous history in which ruthless means were used to get rid of the people who were raping and murdering and defying established systems of order and justice. And then, when people could live freely and peaceably — and children and families and women could be safe — then it became possible to pursue all of these higher elements of life.
“So, when people who are coming to countries like yours that have had struggles and difficulties and pains and challenges, and they're telling you anything other than first and foremost, secure your countries and your territory, they’re giving you not only terrible advice, but advice — if someone had come to Europe centuries ago and they had followed that advice, Europe would have never became the Europe that it eventually became.
“And the reason why many Western countries are struggling today is they’ve forgotten the eternal truth and wisdoms they once followed. And that’s why here under President Trump in America, we are returning to those fundamental truths.”
What's clear, from both Hegseth's and Miller's remarks, is that the Trump administration is firmly embracing the Monroe Doctrine (some now call it the "Donroe Doctrine") and focusing on the security needs of the Western Hemisphere.
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