U.S. defense secretary says three Latin American nations agreed to host joint military ground operations

The Trump administration is moving to expand its military campaign against alleged drug traffickers in Latin America from maritime interdiction to ground operations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced during a visit to Panama that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had agreed to allow joint U.S. military operations against criminal groups on their territory. This follows Ecuador, which launched similar missions with the United States in March. However, Guatemala has denied reaching such an agreement, creating immediate confusion about the scope and reality of the new partnerships.

The expansion represents a significant escalation of U.S. military involvement in the region. The United States has already conducted more than 60 boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing over 200 people. These strikes have drawn criticism due to limited evidence that those targeted were actually narco-terrorists. A New York Times investigation found that one strike on an alleged drug lab in March instead destroyed a cattle farm, raising serious questions about the accuracy of U.S. intelligence and the legality of the operations. The shift to land-based joint operations would place U.S. forces directly on the ground in allied nations, a move that analysts describe as an attempt to legitimize increased use of the U.S. military in the hemisphere.

In Colombia, where Trump-backed Abelardo de la Espriella took office this month, Hegseth raised the prospect of U.S. forces joining strikes against armed groups including the National Liberation Army, Colombia's last major guerrilla group. Hegseth said de la Espriella had requested greater U.S. military involvement. The administration frames these operations as part of asserting what it calls American dominance over the Western Hemisphere. Voters across the region are increasingly embracing Trump-aligned leaders, giving Washington more willing partners for its security agenda.

A notable exception to the new anti-trafficking alliance is Mexico, a major source and transit point for fentanyl and other drugs entering the United States. Progressive President Claudia Sheinbaum has cooperated closely with Washington on security but has resisted mounting pressure for a U.S. military role in fighting cartels on Mexican soil. Observers question whether a more militarized approach would produce lasting security gains. Adam Isacson, a defense analyst with the Washington Office on Latin America, noted that even right-leaning governments may be uncomfortable with ceding significant sovereignty. Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank characterized the approach as projecting power and demonstrating military superiority rather than genuine cooperation, describing it as a very asymmetrical relationship that enables Washington to impose its agenda.