Trump’s Plan for the Western Hemisphere: Why Washington is Focused on the Caribbean

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In this episode of the “At the Boundary” podcast, GNSI’s Jim Cardoso and retired Lieutenant General Michael Plehn break down the newly released 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) from the Trump administration, and why it places unprecedented focus on the Western Hemisphere.

They explore why this NSS dedicates four full pages to the region, far more than any previous version, and what that means for U.S. national security.

The conversation examines: The expanding role of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and security cooperation, China’s growing influence in Latin America and the Caribbean through the Belt and Road Initiative, and why the U.S. military must be better educated, technologically adaptive, and ready for rapidly evolving threats.

This episode provides a clear, accessible breakdown of a major shift in U.S. strategy — and what it means for policymakers, practitioners, and the future of Western Hemisphere security.

Links from the Episode: 

• Northeastern University Global Leadership Summit 2025: GLS 2025 - An Aerial View of U.S. and Latin American Relations on Vimeo 

Other noteworthy links:

• GNSI Tampa Summit 6: Cracks in the Lamp: Freeing the Nuclear Genie

• 2026 International Security Experience

• Sign up for the GNSI Newsletter

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

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