HIGHLIGHTS | President Trump Announces New Counternarcotics Operations and Provides an Update on Coronavirus Response

ENHANCED COUNTERNARCOTICS OPERATIONS

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Today, the United States is launching enhanced counternarcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to protect the American people from the deadly scourge of illegal narcotics.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “In cooperation with the 22 partner nations, U.S. Southern Command will increase surveillance, disruption, and seizures of drug shipments, and provide additional support for eradication efforts, which are going on right now at a record pace.”

SECRETARY ESPER: “This is particularly important time for this operation to begin. As nations around the world shift their focus inward to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, many criminal organizations are attempting to capitalize on this crisis. The enhanced operations we are announcing today will keep the pressure on these criminal groups and protect the American people from the devastation caused by the flow of illegal drugs into our country.”

ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR: “This will now double our capacity, and we are talking about hundreds of tons of cocaine now we’re now in a position to seize.”

CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF GEN. MILLEY: “We’re at war with Covid-19. We’re at war with terrorists and we are at war with the drug cartels, as well.”

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR AMB. O’BRIEN: “Maduro, narcoterrorists, and criminals should make no mistake that even as we are working around the clock to fight the spread of coronavirus, we will continue to execute the President’s counternarcotics strategy.”

PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING MEDICAL SUPPLIES

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “To make, procure, and deliver crucial medical supplies to our doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, my Administration is leveraging the might of American manufacturing supply chains and innovators across the industry, and across every industry.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Because of the actions that we’ve taken under the Defense Production Act, manufacturers and suppliers are sharing with FEMA and HHS their planned orders and allocations to states and to hospitals all over the region.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We have, as you know, almost 10,000 ventilators, which we need for flexibility … we have a lot more coming in. We have a lot of — I think we have 11 companies making ventilators right now, very good companies.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “FEMA and HHS formed a historic partnership with the private sector called Project Airbridge to bring supplies from other countries to the United States, including gloves, gowns, goggles, and masks. These supplies will soon be distributed around the country.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “More than 17,000 National Guard personnel have now been activated all across our country. On Tuesday, the Vice President sent a letter to the governors calling on them to have plans in place to use the National Guard to move medical supplies from warehouses to hospitals.”

PROTECTING MILITARY MEMBERS

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “As Commander in Chief, I’m deeply grateful for our service members, their spouses, and their children whose love, devotion, and sacrifice keeps America strong.”

SECRETARY ESPER: “I’m confident between the commanding officers and the senior non-commissioned officers, that they’re taking every reasonable precaution to make sure we practice as best we can social distancing, sanitizing environments, et cetera, consistent with that mission.”

CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS ADM. GILDAY: “In terms of the [USS Theodore Roosevelt], we’re making great progress in terms of testing and also moving people off the ship. So, in the past day or so we’ve moved over 1,000. That number will increase to more than 2,700 by Friday.”

SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE WORKERS

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “We’re going to make sure that our healthcare workers are properly compensated for their extraordinary and courageous work.”

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