How Trump’s Anti-Terror Efforts Backfired: Cartels Profit While U.S. Spends Billions

Trump’s Anti-Terror Rhetoric vs. Reality

At the Americas Counter Cartel Conference in early March, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared,

"Cartels of terrorists across our hemisphere, enabled by adversaries, created and profited from chaos. What creates chaos? No leadership creates chaos."

Boat Strikes: Costly and Ineffective

Hegseth has boasted about military boat strikes targeting narco-terrorists, claiming they mark a historic shift in U.S. strategy. However, these operations have proven both ethically and strategically flawed. At least 185 people have been killed without trials, even when surrendering, undermining U.S. moral standing. More critically, the strikes have failed to cripple cartel operations.

While some drug routes from Venezuela were disrupted, cartels quickly adapted. Alex Papadovassilakis of InSight Crime noted that traffickers now conceal cocaine in legitimate cargo, routing shipments through ports in the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries. Even those in "go-fast boats" are often local fishermen or merchants making one-off deals, not cartel members.

Gen. Francis L. Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March that boat strikes are "one of the main tools, and probably not the most effective." The strikes have cost at least $4.7 billion, according to a joint analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies and Brown University’s Costs of War project.

Venezuela Regime Change: A Failed Gambit

Trump’s push to remove Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro—now facing narco-terrorism charges in the U.S.—also backfired. Despite the military raid and sanctions, Maduro remains in power, and key figures like Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s corrupt interior minister, still control the country’s criminal networks. Papadovassilakis reported that "the country’s broader criminal ecosystem remains largely intact."

Unintended Consequences: Funding Cartels Through Gold Purchases

A New York Times exposé revealed another unintended consequence of U.S. policy: American purchases of gold from mines controlled by Colombian cartels. Despite claims that final products are "100% American," the U.S. has been funding cartel operations. While this practice predates Trump, his administration appeared unaware until recently. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the Times he would investigate the issue, but no further action has been confirmed.

Key Takeaways

• Military strikes cost $4.7 billion but failed to dismantle cartels.
• Cartels adapted quickly, shifting drug routes and methods.
• Venezuela’s regime remains intact, with cartels still profiting.
• U.S. gold purchases inadvertently fund cartels in Colombia.