'Killer' drones and troops: what's behind the US military advance in Latin America

The United States is sending hundreds of troops and drones to Latin America, according to information released by the American press in recent days. The move comes amid Donald Trump's government's attempt to combat drug trafficking and expand American influence in the region.

On Wednesday (14), The New York Times reported that at least 600 US military personnel will participate in training and exercises with local forces in Panama, Colombia and Honduras.

According to the newspaper, the first soldiers have already begun to be sent to a training center in Panama.

Afterwards, they will head to Colombia, where they will participate in military exercises scheduled to begin in October.

Another part of the group will be deployed to Honduras, also for training activities with local forces.

The report also stated that part of the military will be able to support American special operations forces that advise local armies in actions against suspected drug traffickers.

The news came a week after the same newspaper reported that the United States was sending MQ-9 Reaper drones, known as "hunter-killers", to South America.

The equipment was redirected from Africa to Ecuador and Colombia and should be used in anti-drug trafficking operations.

Both countries face the activities of criminal factions classified as terrorist organizations by the American government.

For political scientist Maurício Santoro, doctor in Political Science from Iuperj and collaborator at the Center for Political-Strategic Studies of the Brazilian Navy, military personnel sent to Latin America must act mainly as advisors to local forces.

According to him, the expectation is that Americans will work in partnership with the Armed Forces and police of countries that have joined the Shield of the Americas — Donald Trump's initiative to combat organized crime in the region. Brazil is not part of the group.

Santoro also assesses that the sending of 600 American soldiers to Latin America is a small displacement compared to the objectives announced by the American government.

"The United States military will not be directly on the front line. Those who will be there breaking down the door of a laboratory or arresting a gang will be the military or police from these countries", he explains.

"The Americans will simply be working in a supportive setting."

The United States maintains five military bases in the region and can use three Cooperative Security Locations (CSLs) — facilities that allow access and logistical support in partner countries, without necessarily housing troops permanently.

The country also regularly holds joint military exercises with foreign partners. In September, for example, Brazil received American troops and troops from other countries for training in Goiás, coordinated by the Brazilian Armed Forces.

Just this year, a survey carried out by g1 shows that the USA carried out exercises and training in at least 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The data includes actions at the American base in Guantánamo, Cuba.

At the same time, the US has expanded direct military action in Latin America.

In January, American forces attacked Venezuela and captured then-dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Two months later, the United States joined Ecuador in operations against drug cartels in the country.

American forces also maintain attacks against vessels that, according to the US government, transport drugs in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.

Data from the United States Congress indicates that the country had around 1,650 military personnel active in Latin America in March 2024. For Santoro, this number has probably increased in recent months.

According to the expert, the expansion of the American military presence in the region reflects a change in Trump's foreign policy.

Santoro states that, although the fight against drug trafficking is the justification for the operations, the geopolitical dispute with China also helps to explain the increased interest of the United States in Latin America.

"The American decision to have this type of more intense engagement with the region involves a geopolitical interpretation", he states.

"Latin America today is more important to the United States or has become a threat to the United States because of China's greater influence in the region."

g1 questioned the United States Southern Command about the number of American troops in the region, but had not received a response until the last update of this report.

The Trump administration has been pressuring Latin American countries to intensify actions against groups linked to drug trafficking and to expand military cooperation with the United States, including through joint operations.

The strategy, however, is subject to questioning.

Experts interviewed by the New York Times cast doubt on the effectiveness of killing members of criminal organizations to reduce drug trafficking.

Human rights organizations also warn of the risk of civilian casualties if attacks are expanded to targets on land.

The rapprochement of Latin American governments with Trump also raises concerns about the permanent American military presence in countries in the region.

According to the New York Times, the possibility of these operations has reignited the debate about the sovereignty of Latin American countries, mainly because of the history of military interventions in the past.

The report also states that members of the American government question the lack of clearly defined objectives for sending troops to Latin America.

So far, the deployment of military personnel has been temporary. On the other hand, American authorities interviewed by the newspaper do not rule out that troop rotations become a permanent part of the US military presence in the region.