Massive 71% Public Support for President Trump’s Plan to Label Latin American Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organizations and Launch Military Strikes
A stunning new poll has revealed that a vast majority of Americans are standing behind President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign to take the fight to Latin American drug cartels. According to the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll conducted in early October 2025, 71 percent of Americans support Trump’s policy of officially designating major cartels as terrorist organizations and using military power to eliminate their networks. The poll reflects an overwhelming shift in public sentiment, one that sees drug cartels not merely as criminal syndicates but as a direct national security threat to the United States and its allies.
The data shows bipartisan agreement on the issue — an increasingly rare phenomenon in modern American politics. Eighty-nine percent of Republicans support the plan, along with 67 percent of independents and even 56 percent of Democrats. That level of consensus underscores a growing sense of urgency across the political spectrum as Americans confront the fentanyl crisis, border violence, and cartel-linked kidnappings that have touched communities far beyond the southern border.
Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States has taken unprecedented steps to dismantle the multi-billion-dollar narco-terror operations fueling instability in Latin America. Trump’s administration has pushed for the formal recognition of cartels such as Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation, and Los Zetas as foreign terrorist organizations, allowing for greater intelligence coordination, financial sanctions, and — when necessary — direct military intervention. In recent months, the Pentagon confirmed the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, signaling an expanded maritime crackdown on drug routes tied to Venezuela and Colombia.
Unclassified footage released by the Department of Defense has already shown U.S. forces targeting cartel “go-fast” boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific — vessels often used to transport cocaine and fentanyl precursors into North America. The strikes, according to U.S. officials, have disrupted hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of narcotics shipments and weakened several key smuggling networks operating under the protection of corrupt regimes.
The poll’s results come at a crucial moment, following months of debate over whether designating the cartels as terrorist entities could create legal and diplomatic complications. Critics have warned that such moves could strain relations with Mexico or lead to unintended consequences for civilian populations in affected regions. However, supporters argue that cartels have evolved far beyond mere criminal organizations — now functioning as hybrid terror groups that control territory, use heavy weaponry, and even collaborate with foreign intelligence services hostile to the United States.
The Trump administration’s framing of the issue has resonated deeply with the American public. By defining the cartels as narco-terrorists rather than just traffickers, Trump has tapped into a powerful national mood of determination and self-defense. Many Americans now view the drug crisis not only as a domestic epidemic but as a foreign threat being exported into U.S. neighborhoods. The message is clear: if America can neutralize terrorist cells halfway around the world, it can and should confront the cartels operating just south of its borders.
The Harvard-Harris poll confirms what Trump’s supporters have been saying for months — the public is no longer satisfied with half-measures. Seventy-one percent of voters believe that a show of military strength is not only justified but essential to secure America’s future. That sentiment has been amplified by recent reports linking Venezuela’s leadership to cartel money laundering and terror financing, making the push for regional action even stronger.
As the administration continues its campaign, the data signals a defining moment in U.S. foreign policy. For decades, Washington approached the Latin American drug crisis as a law enforcement challenge. Now, under Trump, it is being treated as a matter of national defense — one that commands overwhelming public support. The message from voters could not be clearer: Americans want to defend their hemisphere, protect their borders, and stop the cartels before the poison they export claims more American lives.
