President Donald Trump says the United States plans to expand its fight against transnational criminal organizations by beginning land-based strikes against drug trafficking networks after what he described as a near-total shutdown of maritime smuggling routes.
At a press conference carried live on Newsmax, Trump said his administration designated Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and major Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and has used that authority to aggressively target their operations at sea.
"We've hit them hard," Trump said. "You've seen what we've done on the water. We're starting to do that on land."
Trump claimed maritime drug trafficking has dropped by 97% as a result of U.S. strikes on smuggling boats operating in the Caribbean and Pacific, saying traffickers are now avoiding sea routes altogether.
"Nobody's going into the boat business right now," Trump said. "We've taken out almost 100 percent of the drugs coming in by water."
Administration officials have expanded joint operations involving the Navy, the Coast Guard, and international partners to disrupt cartel-controlled vessels before illicit drugs reach the U.S.
Trump said the focus is shifting toward land-based smuggling corridors, which he described as easier to target.
"We know exactly where they're coming from," Trump said.
The remarks highlight the administration's escalating strategy to use counterterrorism-style authorities and military resources to combat drug cartels and violent transnational gangs both at sea and on land.
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