USA23 September, 20262 min read
Trump Presses Shield Of The Americas To Sanction 24 Narco-Terrorist Groups In New York
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Trump urged Shield of the Americas to sanction 24 narco-terrorist groups across Latin America. Designate, freeze assets, visa restrictions, and sanctions coordinated by member governments.
17 outlets told this the same way.
Shield expands, US role debated
President Donald Trump pressed Shield of the Americas members to formally designate “narco-terrorists” as common threats to stability and impose “crushing sanctions” on 24 groups listed by Washington during a meeting on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. José Manuel Restrepo told Fox News Digital that Colombian troops, not U.S. forces, would carry out operations against Colombia’s armed groups, saying, “the public forces of Colombia are those who are going to act in those places.”
Restrepo also said the United States would provide security support, information, and technology, while Colombia would put “our group, our public forces on the ground” in response to the region’s armed and drug-trafficking violence. The Shield of the Americas meeting followed Trump’s Tuesday UN address, where Trump warned, “And, if necessary, we will use our unparalleled military might to safeguard the United States’ vital national interests.”
Caribbean sign, 24 groups targeted
Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic joined the United States and 11 other Western Hemisphere countries in announcing coordinated measures against 24 organizations they identify as narco-terrorist groups at the Shield of the Americas meeting in New York. The joint declaration outlined cooperation across economic security, regional security, and multilateral coordination, and it said participating governments intend to strengthen intelligence sharing, expand access to security technologies and training, and coordinate positions in regional and international forums.
The declaration also set out a first joint action that included asset freezes and immigration and visa restrictions for members, associates and supporters of the listed organizations, along with criminal penalties for people who knowingly provide material support. The joint statement that followed the coalition’s Tuesday meeting said it would impose asset freezes and visa restrictions and pursue criminal charges, while Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti said the statement was “largely symbolic for now” because each country must follow its own legal procedures.
Stakes: sovereignty, law, and enforcement
The Shield of the Americas joint statement said participating governments intended to freeze assets and restrict visas while pursuing criminal charges against members and supporters of the 24 organizations, and it framed the effort as a response to transnational narco-terrorist threats. The declaration also called for participating countries to co-sign a request to the Organization of American States Permanent Council for a meeting to consider establishing an Organ of Consultation under the Inter-American Treaty on Reciprocal Assistance, known as the Rio Treaty.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned at the UN that “Brazil is nobody’s back yard,” and he criticized the approach as “renewed hegemonic temptations.” A UN human rights special rapporteur said in a report that U.S. attacks “violate international law” and “plausibly constitute crimes against humanity,” while Ben Saul said the Americas Shield “promotes a security-centered response with no explicit commitments to human rights and international law.”