Welcome to meet the press now.

I'm Kristen Welker in Washington, where President Trump is testing the limits of his national security agenda here at home and abroad, as he increasingly relies on the U.S. military to

address issues from the flow of illicit drugs to domestic law enforcement. Right now,

President Trump is hosting a roundtable discussion at the White House to tout the administration's

efforts to crack down on drug cartels and human trafficking operations. President Trump is also

using the event to malign his predecessor, baselessly claiming that cartels and human trafficking operations. President Trump is also using the event to malign his

predecessor, baselessly claiming that cartels took over the country. Listen.

We inherited from this past administration, it's like disgraceful. In a matter of weeks,

the task force has made the largest number of arrests of cartel, leaders, operatives, and gang members

in American history, more than 3,000 and counting. The last administration allowed the cartels

and their operatives to frankly take over our country to freely infiltrate America and all the

communities nationwide, along with transnational gangs, these groups have

unleashed more bloodshed and killing on American soil than all other terrorist groups combined.

These are the worst of the worst.

It should now be clear to the entire world that the cartels are the ISIS of the Western

hemisphere.

Now, it comes as the U.S. military strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in South America

appears to be expanding.

Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth posting on social media yesterday, the Pentagon carried out

two strikes on what he called narco-terrorists, this time in the Eastern Pacific.

It brings the total number of strikes up to nine with at least 37 reports. on what he called narco-terrorists, this time in the Eastern Pacific.

It brings the total number of strikes up to nine with at least 37 reported deaths.

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