Trump's Hemisphere War: Venezuela Was Just the First
After capturing Venezuela's Maduro, Trump targets Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba under his "Don-roe Doctrine" in an expanding war on drugs campaign.
Trump Doctrine
By Elke Porter | WBN News Global | January 7, 2026
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The dramatic midnight raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 sent shockwaves through Latin America—but according to President Trump's own statements, this was merely the opening salvo in an expanded campaign against what he calls narco-states in America's hemisphere.
Invoking what he's dubbed the "Don-roe Doctrine," a rebranding of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. dominance over the Western Hemisphere, Trump has made clear that multiple nations are now in his crosshairs under the banner of fighting drug trafficking.
Colombia: The Most Immediate Target
Trump's most explicit threats have been directed at Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom he's accused of running "cocaine mills and cocaine factories." When asked aboard Air Force One whether a military operation in Colombia was forthcoming, Trump responded, "Sounds good to me." Despite decades of U.S.-Colombia security cooperation, relations have deteriorated rapidly, with Petro warning he would "take up arms again" to defend his nation's sovereignty.
Mexico: Cartel Crackdown Coming?
Mexico also features prominently in Trump's rhetoric. The president has warned that "something will have to be done about Mexico," claiming drug cartels are too powerful and the government too weak to stop them. He's offered U.S. military assistance to President Claudia Sheinbaum to combat cartels—an offer Mexico has firmly declined while condemning the Venezuela operation.
Cuba: Waiting to Fall
Trump believes Cuba is "literally ready to fall" without Venezuelan oil subsidies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this sentiment, suggesting Havana officials should be "concerned." Senator Lindsey Graham went further, saying Cuba's "days are numbered."
Beyond Drugs: Greenland in Play
While the U.S. already maintains Pituffik Space Base on Greenland, Trump wants the entire island. "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security," he told journalists, claiming the region was "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place."
The vast Arctic island, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, sits roughly 2,000 miles northeast of the U.S. and is rich in rare earth minerals crucial for smartphones, electric vehicles, and military hardware—resources currently dominated by Chinese production.
Greenland also occupies a key strategic location in the North Atlantic, with access to the increasingly important Arctic Circle where melting polar ice is expected to open new shipping routes. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen dismissed Trump's ambitions as fantasy, demanding dialogue "through proper channels and with respect for international law." Any U.S. attempt to seize Greenland would spark conflict with fellow NATO member Denmark, potentially destroying the alliance.
A Dangerous New Era
Trump's invocation of the "Don-roe Doctrine" marks a dramatic departure from decades of U.S. foreign policy that at least nominally respected Latin American sovereignty. The Venezuela operation has shattered diplomatic norms and emboldened the president to make unprecedented threats against multiple nations simultaneously. Whether framed as counter-narcotics, resource acquisition, or strategic positioning, Trump's aggressive posture signals a willingness to use military force unilaterally across the hemisphere.
International law, multilateral alliances, and diplomatic conventions appear subordinate to what Trump views as American interests. As Colombia prepares its defenses, Mexico reinforces its sovereignty, and European allies watch nervously, the fundamental question isn't whether Trump will act again—the Venezuela raid proved he will—but rather which nation will be next, and whether any international institution can constrain a superpower determined to reshape its neighborhood by force.
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Tags: #Trump Doctrine #War On Drugs #Latin America #Venezuela #US Foreign Policy #Monroe Doctrine #WBN News Global #Elke Porter
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