After killing hundreds in boat strikes, US military expands campaign on land in Latin America
The campaign follows more than 200 deaths in over 60 boat strikes and would extend U.S. force against designated criminal groups onto land, officials said.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week during a Panama visit that the U.S. is extending its military campaign from maritime strikes to joint land operations in Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras.
- The administration's move follows a year of maritime operations that killed more than 200 people in over 60 boat strikes; Ecuador already conducts joint raids despite voters rejecting foreign military bases in a November 2025 referendum.
- Guatemala has denied reaching an agreement for joint operations, while Hegseth compared traffickers to Islamic extremist groups, vowing to target them "like you saw with the strikes on the drug boats."
- Critics, including Latin America expert Michael Shifter, warn the widening campaign risks civilian casualties and backlash; Shifter argues the strategy projects military superiority rather than fostering genuine cooperation.
- The Trump administration seeks to assert what it calls "American dominance over the Western Hemisphere," designating 20 Latin American criminal groups as "foreign terrorist organizations" to pressure regional alignment.
84 Articles
84 Articles
U.S. Secretary of War threatens to make land-based attacks in Latin America Since last year, the U.S. has been investing in a campaign of shelling boats on the shores of Latin America accused of carrying drugs. Dozens of boats have been shot, and hundreds of people have died. Now, Donald Trump's government has begun to look for ways to extend this campaign to land-based operations in Latin America. The tactic, for that, is to negotiate agreement…
The US wants to expand its fight against drug gangs in Latin America. After attacks on boats there are now land-based missions in space.
Hegseth Announces Expansion Of US Military Sphere Of Operations
BreakThrough News. During his visit to Panama, Secretary of War announced signing agreements and strikes in Latin America and the Caribbean against targets considered a threat to US security. On August 12, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Panama, where he attended the Coalition of the Americas Against Cartels (A3C). There, he met with ministers,…
US Military Quietly Expands Land Strikes in Latin America After Slaughtering Hundreds on High-Seas Boats
US maritime strikes in Latin America have already killed more than 200 alleged drug traffickers since January 2025, and the Pentagon now plans to extend the lethal campaign from the high seas onto land, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed. The shift, which would see joint US-backed assaults inside Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala, marks a significant escalation in President Donald Trump's regional security strategy. Speaking during a mi…
The Trump administration has agreed with several countries to carry out joint actions on their territory.
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