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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called on Latin American nations to intensify their fight against drug cartels, warning that the United States may have to act unilaterally if regional governments fail to confront the growing threat.

Some shit you should know before you read: Shortly after Trump returned to office, he signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” significantly expanding the US government’s ability to combat them. This designation allows for a wide range of actions, from the Treasury Department imposing sanctions on Mexican businesses, banks, and individuals linked to cartels to authorizing US military operations against cartel targets, including airstrikes, special forces raids, and cross-border efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks. The designation also opened the door for US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, to conduct operations against cartel networks. Over the last year, the Trump administration has used this executive order to justify US military action targeting alleged narco-boats, an operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, and the filing of terrorism charges against alleged cartel members.

What’s going on now: In a speech at US Southern Command in Miami during the first Americas Counter Cartel Conference, Hegseth called on Latin American governments to take a more aggressive military role in confronting drug cartels and warned the United States was prepared to act on its own if necessary. “America is prepared to take on these threats and go on offence alone if necessary. However, it is our preference… that we all do it together with you,” Hegseth said, urging regional militaries to escalate operations against cartel networks. He told defense leaders that “business as usual will not stand.”

Representatives from more than a dozen countries attended the conference, including Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. However, key countries tied to major drug production and trafficking routes Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia did not attend the meeting.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller also compared cartel organizations to global jihadist organizations, saying “cartels that operate in this hemisphere are the ISIS and the Al-Qaida of the western hemisphere and should be treated just as brutally and just as ruthlessly.”

There’s been no comment from Mexico, Brazil, or Colombia.