Amid President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on public safety and border security, two of his most influential advisors—newly appointed White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth—have emerged as a formidable policy team. The duo has spearheaded multiple high-profile initiatives, including the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), and their coordinated efforts have led to significant crime reductions in major cities, according to White House statements and law enforcement data.
The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition: A ‘New Sheriff in Town’
Miller, who previously served as deputy chief of staff for policy, and Hegseth have worked closely on the A3C, also known as the Shield of the Americas—a coalition of nearly 20 Western Hemisphere nations targeting drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations. At its launch in March 2026, Miller compared cartels to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, vowing to use military force to dismantle them. Three additional countries have since joined the initiative, expanding intelligence-sharing and cross-border operations against groups like the Sinaloa Cartel and MS-13.
Crime Crackdowns Yield Dramatic Declines
A key part of their partnership includes the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which has deployed thousands of National Guard troops to the capital. Officials report a 48% drop in homicides and a 32% decrease in robberies, alongside over 19,000 arrests—nearly 2,000 for weapon offenses. Similar efforts in Memphis, where the National Guard was also mobilized, saw a 37% reduction in homicides and a 47% decline in robberies, with nearly 14,000 arrests made. In Louisiana, murders reportedly plummeted 87% under a parallel task force.
‘Unleashed’ Law Enforcement and National Guard Surge
Miller and Hegseth have framed their strategy as removing restraints on law enforcement. “The handcuffs you’re carrying, they’re not on you anymore. They’re on the criminals,” Miller told officers in Tennessee. The Pentagon has extended National Guard deployments in D.C. through 2029, with Hegseth authorizing expanded use of tactical vehicles and patrol boats.
Praise from the Cabinet and Beyond
Hegseth has publicly lauded Miller as an “incredible American patriot” and credited him with securing the border for 18 consecutive months. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Todd Blanche also praised Miller’s leadership, emphasizing his record on fraud prevention and Venezuela policy. As Trump’s second-term agenda advances, the Miller-Hegseth alliance appears poised to remain central to its enforcement.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/11/11/how-pete-hegseth-and-stephen-miller-have-partnered-on-key-issues-in-trumps-administration/