The United States military plans to send hundreds of Army soldiers to Latin America for training and joint exercises. This action aligns with the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to combat drug-trafficking networks. The dispatch involves troops from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. According to The New York Times, the first wave of troops from this approximately 600-soldier battalion will head to Panama.
A high-ranking U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that these forces are staged under U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). SOUTHCOM will decide on their final deployment sites. Initially, they will train at a new jungle facility in Panama and later work with local forces in Colombia and Honduras.
Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan of the U.S. Marine Corps mentioned possible land strikes against trafficking networks.
Furthermore, these troops might assist U.S. special operations personnel. These special operations teams are currently advising local militaries conducting raids against suspected drug traffickers. Additional soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to support a new military command for the Western Hemisphere, located in Miami.
The deployment is part of ongoing Pentagon military operations targeting drug traffickers in Latin America and the Caribbean. The campaign has been active for over a year, leading to numerous strikes and more than 235 casualties.
Gen. Francis Donovan, commanding SOUTHCOM, discussed considering land operations against drug networks. “Do I see land strikes as options? Yes. We want all options at the table,” he told The Wall Street Journal. These operations might include strikes, arrests, or takedowns of safe houses.
The Trump administration aims to create disruptive effects for the cartels, referred to as “total systemic friction” by Donovan. Agreements with allied nations could expand military operations onto land in several Latin American countries. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear, focused on dismantling narco-terror networks. Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras have reportedly agreed to joint military efforts, although Guatemala has denied such an agreement.