White House claims record drop in U.S. cartel casualties after naval strikes

In a Tuesday press call, senior White House officials praised President Donald Trump’s decision to authorize direct military action against drug cartels operating in the Western Hemisphere. They described the plan as the first of its kind to use armed force to protect the homeland, claiming it has yielded the largest and steepest drop in U.S. casualties inflicted by cartels in American history. The briefing cited U.S. Southern Command’s counter-narcotics operations, noting a 65% decline in illicit activity in the Western Caribbean, a 60% fall in the eastern Caribbean, and nearly a 50% reduction in key areas of the Eastern Pacific.

Officials said the campaign has opened political space for new governments in countries such as Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador to partner with the United States. While the lethal strike policy remains contentious, the administration argued it sends a strong deterrent signal to bad actors worldwide.