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Shield of the Americas

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Shield of the Americas
Escudo de las Americas (Spanish)
Motto: "We do bad things to bad people."
Map of the states that joined the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition
Map of the states that joined the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition
HeadquartersUnited States Southern Command, Doral, Florida, United States
Official languages
[1]
TypeInternational military and political coalition
Membership
Shield of the Americas Summit:
Other members:
Leaders
• Chairman
Pete Hegseth
Kristi Noem
• Commander of the Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere
Kevin Jarrard
Establishment
March 5, 2026
• Inaugural summit
March 7, 2026
Websitewww.state.gov/policy-issues/shield-of-the-americas

The Shield of the Americas (SotA), operationally the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC or A3C), is a multinational military and political coalition established by U.S. president Donald Trump on March 7, 2026, during a summit with leaders from countries across the Western Hemisphere. According to President Trump, the initiative would involve participating countries sharing intelligence and coordinating operations to locate and dismantle cartel networks. The Shield of the Americas serves as the forum for member heads-of-state/government, while the A3C is the operational arm of the coalition, focusing on targeting cartel infrastructure and trafficking routes.

On March 5, 2026, President Trump announced that Kristi Noem would be the inaugural special envoy for the initiative, in the same Truth Social post that announced her replacement as the secretary of homeland security.[2]

On March 7, 2026, President Trump stated that representatives from 17 nations had joined the initial alliance, which centers on the commitment to use military capabilities to disrupt and dismantle cartel organizations and associated terrorist networks. The initiative was presented during a summit in Doral, Florida, attended by regional leaders, including Javier Milei of Argentina, Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, Santiago Peña of Paraguay, and other representatives.[3][4]

History

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Background

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The grouping that became the Shield of the Americas emerged from lobbying following Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 United States presidential election. Countries in the region, largely aligned ideologically with the incoming administration, sought to secure political, financial, and military support.[5][6] Presidents Javier Milei of Argentina, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, and Nayib Bukele of El Salvador were among the most involved, attending Trump's second inauguration on January 20, 2025.[5] Their efforts would result in Argentina and El Salvador receiving loans from the IMF, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank; the U.S. relied on its high vote share in these institutions to push the loans through.[6]

Leandro Morgenfeld, coordinator for the study group on the U.S. of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences, argues that the alignment of Bukele, Milei, Noboa, and Peña with Trump is due to the latter's revival of the Monroe Doctrine in foreign policy. He explains that governments in the Americas that don't align with the United States are subject to threats, while those that are aligned become subject to American neocolonialism.[7] Ivan Briscoe, a senior policy director from the International Crisis Group, argued on NPR that Trump's foreign policy toward Latin America is intended to build a coalition ideologically aligned with his administration.[8] Those politically or militarily opposed to his administration's actions in the Americas, even traditional allies such as Brazil and Colombia, have faced travel restrictions and sanctions from the United States. Most of the MAGA movement see the Americas as a territorial extension of the continental United States.[9][10] Concerning the region, the 2025 National Security Strategy says the United States "will reward and encourage the region's governments, political parties, and movements broadly aligned with our principles and strategy."

Formation

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On March 7, 2026, President Trump signed a proclamation launching the Shield of the Americas initiative, establishing an Americas Counter Cartel Coalition. The signing took place at the Shield of the Americas Summit at Trump National Doral Miami. The proclamation commits participating nations to coordinate military and law enforcement efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations, particularly drug cartels. Attendees included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.[11]

Summits

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NoDateHost countryVenueChair
1March 7, 2026 United StatesTrump National Doral Miami Resort and SpaDonald Trump

Ideology

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The coalition is characterized as predominantly right-wing, albeit with some left-leaning or social democratic governments, like Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, with most member countries' ruling parties ranging from centre-right to far-right. Governments, especially those aligned with the policies of the second Trump administration, are caudillist[12][13] and right-wing populist—anti-establishment, autocratic, socially conservative, and personalist.[14][15]

They share opposition to the influence of left-wing politics, from social democracy to communism, mainstream media, and checks and balances on the executive branch. Socially, they are firmly pro-life, while opposing LGBTQ and women's rights. Law and order is another common priority in how these governments approach issues of internal security and public safety. Economically, they vary in emphasizing limited government and economic liberalism.[14][15]

When discussing their shared identity at the ACCC’s inaugural conference, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said member countries were “offspring of Western civilization,” united by “our heritage, our history and geography in this new world.” Focusing on the challenges the coalition aims to address, he asked “whether our nations will be and remain Western nations with distinct characteristics, Christian nations under God, proud of our shared heritage with strong borders and prosperous people, ruled…by law, order, and common sense,” contrasting this with “radical narco-communism and narco-tyranny, which threaten our people, borders and sovereign lands in the name of a false sovereignty or a false peace.”[16]

Participating countries

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Representatives from the United States and 11 countries in Central and South America, as well as countries from the Caribbean, attended the inaugural summit, namely:

State leaders at the Shield of the Americas Summit

Outside the inaugural summit attendees, seven countries also signed on to the initial Joint Security Declaration:

Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Suriname, Dominica, Brazil, and Venezuela, as well as Denmark (which administered Greenland), France (which administered French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, the Collectivity of Saint Martin and Saint Pierre and Miquelon), the Netherlands (which administered Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the special municipalities of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius) and the United Kingdom (which administered Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Montserrat, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands) were absent from the summit and did not participate in the initial meeting of the initiative.[17]

President-elect of Chile José Antonio Kast and his nominated Minister of Defense, Fernando Barros attended the meeting, but not in an official capacity as they could not legally sign the agreement because the then government of President Gabriel Boric was not invited nor represented.[18]

Organization

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The Shield of the Americas is officially an international military and political coalition,[19][20] where issues are coordinated and addressed with right-wing governments aligned to the United States under the second Trump administration.

Shield of the Americas Summit

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Illegal and mass migration, drug trafficking, foreign interference, and organized crime were first discussed at the level of heads of state or government who were invited to the inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit on March 7, 2026. The event was presided over United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Kristi Noem as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.[21][22] As special envoy to the coalition, they diplomatically coordinate with invited heads of state or government on behalf of the United States to address the above issues.[23][24][25] At the working lunch of the inaugural summit, Noem told attendees, "I will, when the press leaves, give you all my personal cell phone number so that you can reach me at any time that you may need something."

Americas Counter Cartel Conference

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The Americas Counter Cartel Conference is the operational conference of the coalition,[16] by extension the operational arm of the Shield of the Americas.[26] Member states' ministers of defense or security convene to coordinate militarily addressing drug trafficking, organized crime, and threats to critical infrastructure.[16] It was held at the SOUTHCOM Conference Center of the Americas in Doral, Florida, where the inaugural meeting was hosted March 4–5, 2026. The conference, and thus the coalition, is chaired by United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth,[27] and coordinated by Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of the United States Southern Command.[28][29]

At the inaugural conference, participating ministers signed the Americas Counter Cartel Joint Security Declaration, with Hegseth finally signing on March 5, all committing to join the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition.

Security cooperation

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Countries attending the summit have increased access to United States military equipment, training, and intelligence to militarily address the Shield of the Americas’ priorities.[30] As part of the overall coalition, countries counter-narcotics efforts have been conducted utilizing intelligence fusion and information sharing from Joint Interagency Task Force-South, a subordinate command of SOUTHCOM.[31][32][33] Their coast guards are supported as law enforcement by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in these efforts.[34] Member countries militaries also have access to the United States Space Force’s Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (TacSRT) for operations against transnational criminal infrastructure.[35]

Ideological networks

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The Shield of the Americas has described itself as a political coalition,[19] characterized as being mostly ideologically right-wing and aligned with the United States,[36][37] evolving out of a right-wing populist network influencing the second Trump administration's foreign policy in Latin America.[14][38] Prior to the establishment of the Shield of the Americas, this network consisted of Bukele, Milei, and Asfura, who employed political strategist Fernando Cerimedo. Cerimedo has close political ties with Trump and played a prominent role in the 2022–2023 Brazilian election protests favouring Bolsonaro, live-streaming Brazil Was Stolen, claiming that voting machines were tampered with to favour Lula da Silva.[39] Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa would also ideological align himself with the U.S. president Donald Trump’s second term foreign policy in Latin America after the latter’s second inauguration.[40][6] To varying extents, Catham House, The Economist, El Pais, The Financial Times, and The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune[41] include in the network:

Parties and movements associated with these figures include:

Following the elections of Keiko Fujimori and Abelardo de la Espriella as president in the 2026 Peruvian and Colombian presidential elections, both the administrations announced its intention to join the Shield of the Americas and that they will give a "very significant space" for cooperating with the Trump administration against Venezuela.[42]

Despite the governments of the coalition countries' being predominantly right-wing, Guyana, also a member of the coalition, had a centre-left social democratic government under Irfaan Ali.[43]

In August 2026, Colombia became the 19th member of the Shield of the Americas.[44]

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ↑ "Donald Trump Jokes About 'Not Learning Your **** Language' In Wild Riff To Foreign Leaders". March 9, 2026 – via Yahoo News.
  2. ↑ "Kristi Noem reassigned as special envoy for Shield of the Americas". Global News. March 5, 2026. Archived from the original on March 6, 2026. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Shield of the Americas: What to know about the summit and Noem's new role". Live Now Fox. March 7, 2026. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Trump speaks at Shield of the Americas summit aimed at taking on cartels". ABC News. March 7, 2026. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Schlenker, Lee (May 16, 2025). "Latin American leaders spend millions to influence Trump's White House". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Stott, Michael (May 1, 2025). "Donald Trump's Latin American fan club hopes for loans and access". Financial Times. Retrieved March 11, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)(subscription required)
  7. ↑ Guillén, Beatriz (February 10, 2025). "The spring of Nayib Bukele's relationship with Donald Trump". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ Simon, Scott (October 18, 2025). "A policy expert reviews Trump's assertive foreign policy approach in Latin America". NPR. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ Bergengruen, Vera (October 23, 2025). "Essay | Trump's 'Donroe Doctrine' Aims to Dominate the Americas". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 6, 2026.(subscription required)
  10. ↑ Forero, Juan; Dubé, Ryan (September 27, 2025). "Trump Is Reasserting U.S. Dominion Over Latin America". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Trump meets with Latin American leaders turning his attention to the Western Hemisphere". CBS News. March 7, 2026. Archived from the original on March 12, 2026. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  12. ↑ Andreas, Campomar (April 22, 2025). "Trump the caudillo". Engelsberg Ideas.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ Stott, Michael (March 3, 2025). "Latin America recognises the familiar 'caudillo' in Donald Trump". Financial Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. 1 2 3 "Trump's Latin America policy will be shaped by an ideological network of 'Trumpista' strongmen | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank". www.chathamhouse.org. February 6, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Latin America's new hard right: Bukele, Milei, Kast and Bolsonaro". The Economist. April 1, 2024. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 "Remarks by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Americas Counter Cartel Conference (As Delivered)". U.S. Department of War. Archived from the original on May 9, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  17. ↑ Chambers, Francesca (March 7, 2026). "Noem debuts as Trump envoy at Latin American leader summit after DHS ouster". USA TODAY.
  18. ↑ "José Antonio Kast Takes Office: Pragmatist or Radical Right?". Americas Quarterly.
  19. 1 2 "Hegseth Welcomes Ecuadorian President to War Department". U.S. Department of War. Archived from the original on June 16, 2026. Retrieved June 18, 2026. Launched March 7 by President Donald J. Trump, Shield of the Americas is a U.S.-led multinational security and political coalition formed to combat transnational drug cartels, reduce illegal migration across the Western Hemisphere and limit foreign geopolitical interference.
  20. ↑ Lopez, C. Todd (August 13, 2026). "Southcom Mission Shifts to Protecting Sovereignty of U.S., Partner Nations". U.S. Department of War. …The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, [is] a U.S.-led multinational security and political alliance formed to combat transnational drug cartels, reduce illegal migration across the Western Hemisphere and limit foreign geopolitical interference.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ↑ "The United States to Host the Shield of the Americas Summit". United States Department of State. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Secretary Rubio's Meeting with Western Hemisphere Presidents". United States Department of State. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  23. ↑ "What we know about Noem's new 'Shield of the Americas' role". The Hill. March 5, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  24. ↑ Lee, Chantelle (March 6, 2026). "What Is Kristi Noem's New Role in the Trump Administration?". Time Magazine.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ↑ "Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem at the Shield of the Americas Summit Working Lunch". United States Department of State. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Map shows all "Shield of the Americas" nations as Trump's alliance grows". Newsweek. August 13, 2026. Retrieved August 14, 2026. …The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, [is] the operational arm of the Shield of the Americas. It was held in Panama, which has become an early focus of President Donald Trump's Latin America policy because of his interest in control of the Panama Canal.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ↑ "Secretary of War Hegseth Reaffirms the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, Calls on Regional Partners to Take Fight to the Cartels". U.S. Department of War. August 13, 2026. On August 12, 2026, Secretary Hegseth, A3C Chairman, addressed Ministers and Chiefs of Defense from Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. During his remarks, the Secretary stressed the importance of operationalizing the coalition against narco-terrorism in the region.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ↑ U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs (March 6, 2026). "SOUTHCOM Commander Stresses Importance of Partnership to Combat Cartels". United States Southern Command.
  29. ↑ Parnell, Sean (March 5, 2026). "Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell on the Americas Counter-Cartel Conference". United States Department of Defense.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ↑ "What Did the Shield of the Americas Summit Accomplish?" (PDF). Inter-American Dialouge. March 18, 2026. pp. 1, 3–4.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ↑ "Countering Narcoterrorism and Cartels". www.southcom.mil. Archived from the original on June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026. Intelligence fusion and rapid information sharing with partner nations through Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S).
  32. ↑ "U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) on X". X (formerly Twitter). May 8, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. ↑ "U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) on X". X (formerly Twitter). June 9, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  34. ↑ "U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) on X". X (formerly Twitter). May 20, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  35. ↑ "U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) on X". X (formerly Twitter). May 1, 2026. Retrieved June 22, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. ↑ Puntes, Suhelis Tejero. "The Southern Command: Washington's New Frontier of Power in Latin America". Connectas. Retrieved May 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ↑ Affairs, Tomorrow's; Staff, Tomorrow's Affairs (March 7, 2026). "The Shield of the Americas summit in Doral – the US response to China's presence in the region". Tomorrow's Affairs. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Trump's 'Shield of the Americas' coalition is destined to fail | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank". www.chathamhouse.org. February 10, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  39. ↑ "MAGA's man in LatAm". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  40. ↑ Manetto, Francesco (April 20, 2025). "Milei, Bukele y Noboa: el acorazado de Trump en América Latina". El País América (in Spanish). Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  41. ↑ elad (July 1, 2025). "Trump and the Latin American Right: Ideology and Interest". The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  42. ↑ "'Strategic partner': Peru's Fujimori plans to intensify ties with the US". Al Jazeera. July 31, 2025. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Guyana's membership in shield of Americas to strengthen security cooperation, intelligence sharing – Pres Ali". Department of Public Information, Guyana. May 23, 2026.
  44. ↑ Bonello, Jeremy McDermott, Deborah (August 18, 2026). "The InSight Take: The Shield of the Americas Grows, But Does it Have a Strategy?". InSight Crime.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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