US Army Deploys Hundreds to Latin America in Expanded Drug Trafficking Campaign
Roughly 600 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division will participate in training and joint exercises to combat drug networks.
The U.S. military is deploying approximately 600 soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division to Latin America as part of an expanded effort to combat drug-trafficking networks. The troops will engage in training and joint exercises with regional forces, with initial deployments expected in Panama.
The soldiers are being forward-staged under U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which will oversee their ultimate deployment locations. According to reports, the troops will first undergo jungle training at a new facility in Panama before potentially participating in exercises with local forces in Colombia and Honduras. Some soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division will also be assigned to a new Western Hemisphere military command based in Miami.
This deployment is part of a broader campaign that has seen U.S. forces conduct numerous strikes against suspected drug traffickers across Latin America and the Caribbean over the past year, resulting in more than 235 fatalities. The military is also exploring options for land-based operations against trafficking networks, including strikes, arrests, and the takedown of safe houses.
U.S. military operations targeting drug traffickers have intensified, with past actions including lethal strikes against alleged narco-trafficking vessels. SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis Donovan has previously indicated that land strikes are under consideration to create "total systemic friction" for cartels. The administration has pursued agreements with allied nations to potentially expand military operations against these networks within their borders, though some countries have denied reaching such agreements.