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Story summary
- U.S. President Donald Trump told UN General Assembly he will use force against drug cartels on Sept. 22, 2026.
- Trump called drug cartels “ISIS of the Western Hemisphere” and urged treating them as enemy combatants.
- Shield of the Americas coalition includes Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru; Brazil, Mexico declined.
- Since early 2025, administration has struck narcotics-smuggling vessels, killing more than 220 people.
- Rights groups condemned the strikes as extrajudicial killings.