President Donald Trump is set to host a roundtable at the White House on Thursday to review the progress of the Homeland Security Task Forces, a critical initiative established to address the growing threats posed by criminal cartels and human trafficking networks in the United States. These task forces were created on January 20, Trump’s first day in office, through an executive order titled ‘Protecting the American People from Invasion.’ The order specifically directed the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to establish regional task forces in each state, with the aim of dismantling transnational criminal organizations, ending human smuggling and trafficking, and enforcing immigration laws across the country.
White House officials have emphasized the significant achievements of the task forces in a short period, including the arrest of over 3,000 individuals, including foreign terrorists, cartel members, and members of notorious gangs such as the Sinaloa cartel, MS-13, and Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Genaracion. The task forces have also recovered 2 million fentanyl pills, seven tons of other narcotics, $3 million in illicit currency, and more than 1,000 illegal firearms from communities across the United States. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to combat the violent influx of drug cartels and illegal immigrants, a key campaign promise Trump made during his presidential campaign.
The roundtable, which will be attended by high-profile administration officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, is designed to highlight the progress made by these task forces and outline the next steps in the administration’s ongoing efforts. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson has described the task forces as a landmark achievement, crediting Trump’s leadership for eliminating bureaucratic red tape and fostering greater coordination among federal agencies to protect American citizens from criminal threats.
These efforts are also part of a larger military campaign aimed at dismantling transnational cartels through direct military action. The U.S. military has been conducting strikes on suspected drug cartel vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since September, a measure Trump has championed as a necessary step in the war against drug trafficking and organized crime. The administration has also been designating certain cartels as ‘terrorist organizations,’ a designation that has been met with both support and criticism from various factions within the political landscape.
Trump’s focus on these issues has been consistent with his rhetoric on national security, emphasizing the dangers posed by the ‘criminal cartels’ that, according to his statements, have ‘total control’ over the territory to the south of the U.S. border. His address to Congress earlier in the year underscored the administration’s commitment to strengthening border security and combatting illegal immigration, a stance that aligns with the broader conservative agenda of addressing crime, border control, and national sovereignty.
The roundtable is expected to serve as a platform to showcase the administration’s achievements and rally support for continued efforts against transnational criminal networks. As the task forces continue their operations, the administration remains focused on dismantling these organizations and ensuring that the enforcement of immigration laws is both robust and effective in safeguarding American communities from the threats of illicit drug trafficking and human smuggling.