US official says military force is necessary to defeat drug cartels

Stephen Miller, the White House homeland security adviser, stated on Thursday that military force is the only effective way to combat drug cartels. Speaking at a gathering of Latin American military leaders at the US Southern Command headquarters in Miami, Miller emphasized a significant shift in US policy under President Donald Trump.

Miller told the assembled defense leaders that decades of efforts had shown there is no criminal justice solution to the cartel problem. He said, “We have learned after decades of effort that there is not a criminal justice solution to the cartel problem.” Miller further explained that the presence of military officials, rather than legal experts, at the conference underscored the administration’s belief that cartels can only be defeated with military power.

The Trump administration has recently taken a more aggressive approach, including the destruction of suspected drug boats, the seizure of Venezuela’s president in January, and support for Mexico’s operation last month to capture its most wanted cartel boss.

However, this strategy has drawn criticism from legal experts and members of the Democratic Party. They have questioned the legality of equating drug trafficking with acts of war and the use of military force in these operations. Some have expressed concerns about the implications of this policy shift, though the administration maintains that military intervention is necessary to address the threat posed by drug cartels.

The conference in Miami brought together military leaders from across Latin America to discuss regional security issues, with the US reiterating its commitment to supporting allied nations in their efforts against organized crime.