White House touts record decline in cartel-caused U.S. casualties amid aggressive strikes

White House officials say a new military strategy against cartels has produced the steepest drop in U.S. casualties from cartel violence, citing dozens of lethal strikes (including a Caribbean boat attack) and a total tally of 227 deaths in 68 strikes. They report major reductions in illicit maritime activity—about 65% in the Western Caribbean, 60% in the Eastern Caribbean, and around 50% in parts of the Eastern Pacific—and say growing regional cooperation with governments across the Western Hemisphere is helping deter cartels, though the policy remains controversial.