The Pentagon announced on Friday the formation of a new counter-narcotics joint task force to oversee operations across Latin America, aiming to reinforce its expanding military efforts in the region — a move that has drawn scrutiny from legal experts.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the task force aimed “to crush the cartels , stop the poison, and keep America safe.”

“The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold,” Hegseth said on X.

So far the missions have focused entirely on striking suspected drug boats in the waters of the Caribbean. The U.S. military has blown up at least four so far, killing 21 people.

The U.S. military’s Southern Command, which oversees U.S. operations in Latin America, said the new task force would be led by II Ma

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