On March 7, President Trump convened Latin American leaders to attend the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida. The Shield of the Americas Summit (“Summit”) focused on strategies to increase U.S. leadership and coalition in the Western Hemisphere alongside the leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the president-elect of Chile. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also attended the Summit.
President Trump invited the “strongest likeminded allies” in the Western Hemisphere in February for the summit to focus on strengthening regional security, increase economic cooperation and reduce the influence of China and Russia in the hemisphere. The Summit underscored the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy and the “Donroe Doctrine,” as well as expectations for Kristi Noem as she begins her new role as the special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.
Attendees discussed possibilities to increase cooperation and collaboration on dismantling narco-terrorist gangs and cartels, address illegal and mass migration, and limit influence of foreign adversaries in the Western Hemisphere. It also included the expected signing of the “Doral Charter” to emphasize democratic governance, free-market principles, deeper economic collaboration and trade, as well as closer cooperation to counter illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere.
Summit participants signed security agreements that helped establish the “Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition” framework, which President Trump described as “just as we formed a coalition to eradicate ISIS in the Middle East, we must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home.”
The Summit notably drew attention as President Trump utilized the gathering to promote successful U.S. operations, such as the arrest of Nicolas Maduro, the ongoing conflict with Iran and the future of Cuba.
The “Donroe Doctrine” and Regional Cooperation
The “Donroe Doctrine” aligns with President Trump’s second-term focus on restructuring U.S. foreign policy and trade within the Western Hemisphere and increased focus on coordinated military and law-enforcement action against cartels and related criminal or terrorist organizations. The “Donroe Doctrine” was designed to reduce Chinese, Russian and Iranian influence in the Western Hemisphere and to increase U.S. control and operation of strategic assets in the hemisphere.
Examples of the “Donroe Doctrine” are President Trump’s statements about the Panama Canal, foreign operated ports and focus on critical minerals, oil and gas. Prior to the Summit and during the first year of President Trump’s second term, the Trump administration signed reciprocal trade agreements with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala, which all included strong counter-China provisions.
The participation of only right-leaning Latin American governments at the Summit ensured that there was strong alignment in political ideologies and willingness to isolate leftist or authoritarian regimes with close ties to China, Russia and Iran, such as Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. This tight cooperation and alignment of ideology influenced the other themes of the Summit and ensured the enactment of its ideals into wider security cooperation across the hemisphere.
Security Agreements and Actions
Summit attendees signed onto language that commits the “Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition” to coordinate military and law-enforcement efforts against transnational criminal organizations, with an emphasis on combatting cartel infrastructure and trafficking routes.
President Trump also released a proclamation, “Commitment to Countering Cartel Criminal Activity,” which includes a commitment to use lethal military force “to destroy the sinister cartels and terrorist networks.” We anticipate this commitment will mirror current U.S. collaboration with Ecuador, launched on March 3.
Members pledged to share intelligence, cooperate on “whole-of-government” border security efforts, counter-narco-terrorism and trafficking programs, and secure critical infrastructure. The United States will also train Latin American militaries, which we expect will be similar to the agreement signed between the United States and Panama in April 2025.
According to Secretary Hegseth, the human smuggling industry grew almost 2,000% over a five-year span, bringing in nearly $13 billion in 2022. Secretary Hegseth noted that the Trump administration’s strategy in the hemisphere plans to reverse the rise of illicit activity. He highlighted how current strategies influenced a reduction in illegal border crossings, successful deterrence of narco-terrorists in the Caribbean and the 56% reduction of the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
At the signing of the conference, Secretary Hegseth said, “it is our preference—and it is the goal of this conference—that in the interests of this [hemisphere], we all [counter the threats] together.” President Trump also called on Latin American allies to aid the United States in locating illicit groups to support efforts to “destroy” them.
The Pentagon plans to dedicate more resources to the U.S. Southern Command to support the security commitments made at the Shield of the Americas Summit.
Seventeen countries signed on to the proclamation, which includes countries that were not in attendance of the Shield of the Americas Summit.
Next Steps
Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to the principles discussed at the Summit by noting that the plan will be more of “an issue of action” with Special Envoy Noem as the key leader in its implementation. The administration plans to have Special Envoy Noem meet with members “at a personal level, and on a daily and weekly and monthly basis” to ensure the commitments made at the summit are upheld.
In her remarks, Special Envoy Noem said the first objective of the summit will focus on sovereignty, migration control and economic prosperity. She committed to collaborating with the member governments to reverse “harmful foreign influences” in regional businesses, technologies and everyday life.
President Trump also committed to refocusing the administration’s attention to the Western Hemisphere after Iran, with the suggestion that the United States would “soon be coming to Cuba.”
We anticipate the Trump administration will continue its focus on establishing bilateral agreements with allied countries in Latin America to deepen collaboration and security alignment, as well as new agreements focused on economic growth and trade. Before the Summit, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum led a delegation of mineral and mining companies to Venezuela and later announced an agreement regarding the sale of Venezuelan gold.
The administration is incredibly focused on increasing U.S. access to the mineral and oil wealth of the Western Hemisphere. The utilization of the “Donroe Doctrine” and efforts to increase U.S. dominance in the hemisphere are more than limiting Chinese influence in the region; it is also to secure U.S. access to critical minerals and energy security.
We also anticipate future agreements aimed at increasing technological innovation and collaboration, as well as the administration’s support for increased U.S. private investment in the region to promote economic growth.
