Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2026
September 22, 2026
President Trump. A lot of United States. All right. [Laughter] Thank you, everybody, very much.
Well, we had a big day. A lot of things that—going on.
I can tell you that Steve and Jared met with the mediators on the Iran deal. The mediators were here. Not the highest level, but it's something. Had a lot of good thoughts, and a lot of things are working out very well.
But I'm thrilled to be here at the second meeting of the Shield of Americas. The Shield of the Americas is a big deal. Maybe you don't know it—[laughter]—but it's a big deal. Very important.
And this is the largest and most powerful alliance for economic and national security ever to convene in the western hemisphere, and I'd say that's pretty good.
I want to thank Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Where's Marco?
U.S. Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio. Right here. [Laughter]
President Trump. Oh, there's Marco. He's never very far away. [Laughter]
But we have so many great people. I want to thank Kristi Noem for doing a really terrific job, and all of the other members of the administration. We have Scott. We have Steve. We have a couple that have—hi, Kristi.
We have a couple that just showed up, and I'd like to introduce everybody because you're much more important than they are. You're the heads of the country. And your countries are doing very well. There's been a big shift in your countries. Big shift to the right. That's a good thing.
But for too long, leaders before us allowed many parts of the western hemisphere to become badly destabilized by cartel violence, uncontrolled migration, and foreign interference. And you know that better than—a lot of you got elected for that very reason. You would have stopped it.
The Shield of the Americas is a recognition that our region is stronger, safer, and more prosperous if we work together and confront the threats of—all of the threats. And we have a lot of them. The biggest—the cartels, I would say, biggest threat.
As part of that effort, I want to thank you for joining the Department of War's America [Americas; White House correction] Counter Cartel Coalition. And we're there to help you. For years, cartels have waged war on the people of this hemisphere. Now we're waging war on them. The job of every leader in this room is, above all, to protect the physical safety of your people.
These are violent terrorist, paramilitary forces in control of physical territory, and that's because nobody ever did anything to stop it. You're much tougher than them, and you have the backing of the United States, and that makes you much stronger.
So today I'm asking all nations in the Shield of the Americas to formally designate narco-terrorists as common threats to stability and apply crushing sanctions against all 24 U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations. Until I came along, nobody designated anything. You were on your own, but now you're not on your own anymore—and all drug trafficking organizations.
I want to thank you for the steps that you've already taken to help deny these organizations of safe havens. You have let us know, and we've taken them out. You let us know, and we take them out or you take them out yourself. I like that even better. [Laughter] But if you can't, we'll do it for you. [Laughter]
But our joint efforts have already saved hundreds of thousands of lives from lethal fentanyl overdoses and stripped over $4 billion in cartels.
You probably noticed that the drugs, the fentanyl being delivered by sea—by ocean and sea—it's down 97 percent coming into the United States. Nobody has ever seen anything like it. And so, that means there's 3 percent left, and we're trying to find out who are those 3 percent, because I think they happen to be the bravest people in the world. Okay? [Laughter] They may be bad, but they're brave.
But we're down 97 percent. It was—you know, for years administrations just played games, and they'd bring them to a court in Miami or something, and the judge would release them immediately, and they go back to selling drugs and fentanyl and everything else that they sell. But now we don't waste our time doing it.
Today I'm asking the Shield of the America members to help ensure the vast natural wealth of this hemisphere. You have tremendous natural wealth. Maybe, in the world, you probably have the greatest natural wealth. And that you not let it be taken over by hostile, outside powers. Can't let that happen. You won't have a country anymore. Once that happens, you really—you don't come back very easily.
But we must secure control of our own energy pipelines, rare earth elements, and agricultural trade corridors, and something that you know how to do, and you know how to do it very well.
The resources of the Americas must always belong to the people of the Americas. The United States is eager to work with you to achieve this goal and to strengthen all of our nations. And we're working with many of you, and so many of you—almost all of you—I recognize just by your own great work. Great work. You're very respected people. You're doing something that a lot of people thought couldn't be done very easily.
So I want to thank you once again. It's a great honor to be here, and I just want to let you know that the United States is standing behind you, and a number of you know that very well because you're here. I've endorsed some of you, and you had great election victories. Great election victories. So far, I think I'm nine for nine. Everybody I've endorsed has won.
And we just had a big win in Colombia, as you know. We had a big win in Argentina not so long ago. Twice. And a lot of wins. We're winning a lot.
So I just want to thank you all for being here. And I'm with you all the way. And whatever I can do, I will do. And we have very capable people with Scott and Marco and Pete—Pete Hegseth—and the general, "Razin" Caine. General "Razin" Caine. It's—that's what they call him, for a reason.
And you're really fantastic. Congratulations on a job well done. Nobody thought a thing like this would ever happen. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
If you want, you can ask—if you want to have a couple of questions, and then I have a—I have a meeting with—I don't want to say a less impressive group, because I'll be insulting people very badly, so I won't say it. Okay? [Laughter] But I do have a number of other meetings scheduled, and I think I'm going to see some of you tonight. We're going to meet and shake hands and have pictures, and we look forward to it.
Yes, please.
President Santiago Peña Palacios of Paraguay. Thank you, Mr. President. Let me congratulate you because I think you have just broke a world record. I don't think there is a U.S. President who has met more times with President of the western hemisphere in the last 6 months. And—[inaudible]—Paraguay is a very close friend, long-time friend of the U.S. This is something that we also—we have been looking forward always to have the opportunity to meet with you, with your administration.
Summit of the America—and I'm very sorry, because we were hoping to be in Dominican Republic last December, but that was not possible. But we are meeting, and I think this is a great signal for all the countries in the western hemisphere.
The Shield of America is a great initiative, and I think it's an opportunity that myself and my country, we don't want to pass. We want to advance as much as possible. You have a great team, you have a great Secretary of State, and there's a lot that we can achieve.
We have, of course, our own concerns, and there are mutual concerns that we want to work together. We think that Venezuela is something that needs to put all the countries together. We celebrate what you did because all of us, we have suffered of the Maduro and Chavez regime for many, many years. So we appreciate what happened on January the 3d. But we need to continue to work and make sure that there is democracy again in Venezuela.
The same happened in Nicaragua. And hopefully, we can see a free Cuba in our generation.
So we are here to work together with the U.S. administration, and please count on us. And thank you—thank you very much for putting the western hemisphere on your agenda.
President Trump. Well, thank you very much. Great job.
The Venezuela situation is amazing because we have the biggest oil companies in the world now going in, and they're starting to build. Takes a little while, but they're spending billions of dollars. They're building rigs where no rig existed or where they're old and rotted and rusted and useless. But we have the biggest companies in the world, American oil companies and others, going in. And it's been amazing. It's—and the people, they've never seen anything like it.
And that goes to the people, ultimately. It comes some to us, but goes largely also to Venezuela. That's great.
And Cuba—I mean, what can I say about Cuba? They had another blackout last night.
They—they don't have enough for lights. I don't know what's going on with Cuba, but they're not looking so good.
But, you know, Marco's parents were born in Cuba. Such a great story. And he wants to figure it all out, Marco, right? You want to figure out what's exactly there. I think he has—I think he has figured it out.
So we're going to someday in the near future drop him off in the middle of Cuba. Just on the way back—[laughter]—on the way back from Iran, we're going to have one of those big, beautiful aircraft carriers fly him in, drop him off, and he'll figure out the rest. [Laughter] He always has. [Inaudible]
But it is a great story. His parents were born there, and now look at the position: He's Secretary of State, doing a fantastic job.
Do you have anything to say, Marco? Please.
Secretary Rubio. Well, I've already spoken to the group, and they've heard me from Cuba, but I did want—I know we have to go, Mr. President. You have this meeting coming up. But
since this group last met, we've added two new members. One is not here today, the President of Colombia, because he made a pledge not to leave the country because he's—
President Trump. "El Tigre." So he was a big Trump fan. That's why I like him. [Laughter] That's why—he was—all he did is talk about Trump, Trump, Trump. And I said, "I like that guy. Let's endorse him." [Laughter] I endorsed him, and he went from number 10 to number 1 and won in a landslide. And he's—I hear he's doing a great job.
Secretary Rubio. But our newest member is here from Peru, President Fujimori. We want to give you an opportunity to speak and introduce yourself.
And thank you. We're very—we're very—aren't we all very happy that Peru is now a member of the Shield? Great member.
President Trump. Great.
President Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi of Peru. President Trump, Secretary Rubio, thank you so much. Peru joins the Shield of the America with great determination and great enthusiasm.
I come from Peru. Peru has defeated two terrorist group: the Shining Path and MRTA. But right now, we have a different type of problems. This crime that we are facing doesn't respect frontiers. So that's why we are very happy to join this coalition. We applaud your leadership and your initiative—initiative, President Trump. And we are here to support the group and to receive also the information that—support from all of you.
So thank you so much, President Trump.
President Trump. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Thank you.
And the only way you're going to stop the crime is through toughness. Going to have to be very tough. You won't even like it, but you're going to have to be—it's going to stop it very quickly.
Thank you very much.
Yes, please.
Vice President José Manuel Restrepo Abondano of Colombia. Mr. President, hello. Hello, Mr. President.
President Trump. Hi.
Vice President Restrepo. It is a pleasure. This is the Vice President of the Tiger. [Laughter]
President Trump. Well, say hello to him. I think he's great.
Vice President Restrepo. He couldn't come because he's on internal issues nowadays in Colombia.
President Trump. No, he made a pledge that if he wins, he'll never leave the country——
Vice President Restrepo. That is correct.
President Trump. ——and he's not going to take vacations. This isn't a vacation, but he made the pledge. And I told him: "Honor your pledge. That's all right." He's well represented with you.
Go ahead.
Vice President Restrepo. But I just want to say that, as you know, during the last election, we almost lose the democracy of Colombia. And I think that this kind of initiatives, like the Shield of the Americas, is a way to preserve our democracies in the region. By working on economic
security; by working on security, physical security, we can preserve the democracies in our region. And we have a momentum in this time of humanity in this region of the world to work together to preserve democracies and to grow more.
So thank you very much.
President Trump. Thank you. Great job.
So we're with you all the way, and we—you let us know, and we're going to be there, and we have people that love this part of the world.
And you know, this part of the world is being talked about by every other part of the world.
What you're doing is amazing. It's going to go down in history, I believe.
So, if we can help, you let us know.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
NOTE: The President spoke at 3:11 p.m. at United Nations Headquarters. In his remarks, he referred to U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steven C. Witkoff; State Department Senior Adviser Kristi L. Noem; Secretary of the Treasury Scott K.H. Bessent; White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. J. Daniel Caine, USAF; and President Abelardo Gabriel "El Tigre" de la Espriella Otero of Colombia. He also referred to his son-in-law, U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Jared C. Kushner. President Peña referred to former President Nicolas Maduro Moros of Venezuela, who was captured, along with his wife Cilia Flores, in a U.S. military operation in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3 and exfiltrated to the U.S. for criminal processing in New York City. President Fujimori referred to the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA), a former Peruvian Marxist-Leninist paramilitary organization.
Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Shield of the Americas initiative, meeting in New York City.
Locations: Washington, DC.
Names: Witkoff, Steven C.; Bessent, Scott K.H.; Caine, J. Daniel; de la Espriella Otero, Abelardo Gabriel "El Tigre"; Fujimori Higuchi, Keiko Sofía; Hegseth, Peter B.; Kushner, Jared C.; Miller, Stephen; Noem, Kristi L.; Peña Palacios, Santiago; Restrepo Abondano, José Manuel; Rubio, Marco A.
Subjects: Americas Counter Cartel Coalition; Colombia, President; Colombia, Vice President; Cuba, political and economic stability; Department of State, Senior Adviser; Foreign narcotics traffickers; Illegal drugs, interdiction efforts ; Illegal immigration; Iran, diplomatic engagement with U.S.; Joint Chiefs of Staff; New York, President's visit; Paraguay, President; Peru, President; Secretary of State; Secretary of the Treasury; Secretary of War; Shield of the Americas initiative; Transnational criminal organizations; U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions; Venezuela, oil supply and refining; Venezuela, relations with U.S.; White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
DCPD Number: DCPD202600633.