Key facts: Official announcement of the U.S.’s ‘Operation of Total Extermination’

A senior Pentagon official said in congressional testimony last week that the military offensive against Latin American drug cartels was "just the beginning," officially naming the operation "Operation Total Extermination."

Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Inter-American Security Joseph Humire testified before the House Armed Services Committee that "we are supporting bilateral offensive operations against cartel targets along the Colombia-Ecuador border." He characterized it as "the beginning of a military offensive launched by Ecuador against transnational criminal organizations with support from the United States."

This testimony took place the day after President Donald Trump again mentioned the possibility of annexing Cuba. President Trump said, "I believe I will have the honor of taking over Cuba. I think I can do whatever I want, whether I liberate it or take it over."

Why it is important: Paradigm shift in U.S. military intervention in the Western Hemisphere

This operation goes beyond simple drug crackdowns and shows a fundamental change in America's military strategy in the Western Hemisphere.

First, it is the regularization of direct military action against sovereign countries. In the March 3rd airstrike, it was reported that a 500-pound bomb landed on Colombian territory or caused damage through a 'ricochet effect'. A structure is being formed where the United States directly projects military force into the territory of its allies and justifies it as 'cartel eradication'.

Second, the scale of civilian damage. Through Operation Southern Spear, which began in September 2025, the United States destroyed 48 ships in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific and killed approximately 160 civilians. In the Pacific operation on March 19, two people were killed and one survived. The Trump administration claims the victims were members of more than two dozen cartels and criminal organizations, but has refused to release the names of those organizations.

Third, there is the controversy over constitutional and international legal legitimacy. “This administration is only paying lip service to the Constitution and international law governing the use of force,” said Rebecca Ingber, a professor at Cardozo Law School and former legal advisor to the State Department. “Rushing into war at the whim of one person is the exact opposite of what the Constitution requires.”

Historical context: From the war on drugs to the ‘war on cartels’

The United States' military intervention in Latin America has a long history, but the current situation has entered a qualitatively different phase.

In the 1980s and 1990s, indirect intervention was mainly done to support the Colombian government in the name of the 'war on drugs.' The United States focused on training, equipment, and intelligence support.

Plan Colombia in the 2000s was a more active military and economic support package, but local government forces were still the main actors of the operation.

After 2025, the United States will transition to a ‘direct combat’ model, carrying out direct airstrikes and naval strikes. SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis Donovan told the Senate Armed Services Committee that "strikes on ships are not the answer," but signaled the expansion into "an anti-cartel campaign that would inflict total systemic friction across this network."

The background to this transition is the Trump administration's decision to designate several drug cartels as 'terrorist organizations.' Through this, the administration claims that it has secured the legal basis to use military force without congressional approval.

Future outlook [AI analysis]

The possibility of an escalation is high. Acting Assistant Secretary Humier responded that he “does not know” the exact number of ground airstrikes being carried out in about 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries. This suggests that the operation is already expanding beyond official counts.

Diplomatic tensions are expected to increase. The incident of an unexploded bomb being dropped on Colombian territory could also cause a rift in relations with allies. Given that Ecuador's Ministry of Defense has confirmed this fact, it is highly likely that domestic public pressure will increase on local governments' participation in US operations.

Constitutional challenges are expected to materialize. The White House submitted a war powers report to Congress regarding the March 6 airstrike, but this constitutes an ex post facto notification. The movement to restore congressional authority over the administration's independent military action may be strengthened, led by the opposition party.

President Trump's remarks on Cuba imply that the current administration's Western Hemisphere strategy may expand beyond drug eradication to geopolitical reorganization. This could be interpreted as a response to China and Russia's expansion of influence in Latin America, but it is highly likely to result in a backlash from the international community.