Trump touts success of anti-cartel task force in crushing drug operations

President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated the success of a joint task force in eliminating drug cartel members and shutting down their operations.

"In a matter of weeks, the task force has made the largest number of arrests of cartel leaders, operatives and gang members in American history, more than 3,000 and counting," he said at a press conference. "That includes members of the ultra-violent new generation cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, the lnfm Cartel, MS-13 cartel... and Tren de Aragua."

"These are, in addition to the massive numbers of dangerous criminals my administration arrested nationwide since January 20, numbering over 120,000. It's a record and 120,000 criminal arrests," he added. "Unfortunately, for four long years before I took office, the last administration allowed the cartels and their operatives to frankly take over our country."

"It should now be clear to the entire world that the cartels are the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere, in addition to their monstrous violence, such as cutting off heads, burning their enemies alive and burning innocent people alive too," he went on. "By the way, the cartels control large swaths of territory. They maintain vast arsenals of weapons and soldiers, and they use extortion, murder, kidnapping to exercise political and economic control. Thank you very much. Joe Biden for allowing that to happen." 

Trump made the remarks as his administration increasingly launches military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats launching from Venezuela. 

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.