U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that Colombia’s recently inaugurated government has requested U.S. collaboration in joint military operations to combat “narco-terrorism.”
During a meeting of the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition in Panama, Hegseth stated that Colombia would also join the “Shield of the Americas” initiative, becoming its 19th member. This initiative, which aims to unite forces against drug cartels, emerged from a March summit that included U.S. President Donald Trump and Latin American countries. Colombia’s previous president, Gustavo Petro, was not invited to that summit.
Hegseth said that through President Abelardo de la Espriella, known as “El Tigre,” Colombia has formally asked the Department of War to join in fighting narco-terrorism and authorized joint military operations.
President de la Espriella, who was sworn in last week, has previously indicated his administration would join the U.S. initiative. His government did not immediately comment on Hegseth's announcement in Panama.
In a separate matter at the meeting, Hegseth urged Latin American countries not to recognize the International Criminal Court (ICC). The U.S. has conducted military strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the region, which Hegseth defended as “entirely legal under international humanitarian law.”
Hegseth encouraged the nearly 20 nations present to disavow the ICC and reject its efforts to undermine their governments' and courts' sovereignty. This call aligns with the Trump administration's campaign against the international court, a response to arrest warrants issued for senior Israeli officials and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. The extent to which the ICC has acted to impede U.S. operations in the region was not specified in Hegseth’s remarks.