U.S. Army Deploys Hundreds to Latin America for Anti-Drug Trafficking Training as Regional Campaign Expands

The U.S. Army is deploying personnel from the 10th Mountain Division, headquartered at Fort Drum, New York, to Latin America. The initial contingent, part of a battalion of approximately 600 soldiers, is slated for deployment to Panama. This information was initially reported by The New York Times.

These troops will first undergo training at a newly established jungle facility in Panama. Subsequently, they are expected to participate in joint training exercises with local military forces in Colombia and Honduras. The deployed soldiers may also provide support to American special operations forces who are currently advising regional militaries involved in operations targeting suspected drug traffickers.

In a related development, several hundred additional soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are anticipated to contribute to the staffing of a new military command for the Western Hemisphere, which will be situated in Miami.

Expanding Anti-Trafficking Operations

This deployment is part of ongoing military efforts by the U.S. Department of Defense aimed at disrupting suspected drug trafficking operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The campaign, initiated over a year ago, has seen American forces carry out numerous operations, resulting in the deaths of more than 235 individuals.

General Francis Donovan, who commands U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), previously indicated that the military was exploring the possibility of conducting operations against trafficking networks on land. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, General Donovan stated,

Do I see land strikes as options? Yes. We want all options at the table.

He elaborated,

Those actions might be strikes, arrests, or the takedown of a safe house. It could even be something as routine as increasing the use of cargo scanners at border checkpoints.

General Donovan further explained that the overarching objective is to generate “total systemic friction” for these criminal organizations.

International Cooperation and Agreements

The previous administration had sought agreements with allied nations to potentially broaden military operations against trafficking networks to include land-based activities across several Latin American countries. During a visit to Panama in August, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had previously stated that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had consented to joint military operations with the U.S. against criminal groups within their territories. However, Guatemala subsequently denied having reached such an agreement.