Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the Department of Defense (DOD) is forming a new counter-narcotics joint task force in order to “crush” drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea.
Hegseth said the new task force, established at the direction of President Trump, will operate in U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.
“At the President’s direction, the Department of War is establishing a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force in the @SOUTHCOM area of responsibility to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe,” Hegseth said in a post on the social platform X.
“The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold,” he added.
The Hill has reached out to DOD for further information.
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