Washington sends 600 soldiers to Latin America: what their mission against the cartels plans

Washington is deploying 600 troops to Latin America to strengthen its campaign against drug cartels. According to American military officials interviewed by the New York Times, the first began to reach Panama for training in the rainforest. They must then participate in exercises with Colombian and Honduran forces. Some could also protect American helicopters already used in the region in support of special forces, or rescue the latter in difficulty.

These men belong to a battalion of the 10th Mountain Division, an army unit based at Fort Drum, New York. Their deployment accompanies an expansion of the American military fight against drug trafficking. Since the start of this campaign in the fall of 2025, the American army has carried out 71 strikes against boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, killing at least 239 people, the daily reports. Washington accuses them of transporting drugs, without having presented public evidence to support these accusations.

General Francis Donovan, who heads the American military command responsible for most of Latin America, is now planning strikes against traffickers on dry land. This does not mean that the 600 soldiers will be responsible for carrying them out: the missions described primarily concern training and possible support for operations. The Pentagon has not confirmed details of the deployment. He says he wants to work with partner armies, including Colombia and Honduras, to maintain “constant pressure” on criminal networks.

The jungle and practical work

In Panama, soldiers must join a new training center in the rainforest. No raids against traffickers have been announced for this battalion in the country. The stays are planned for a limited period, but other contingents could then take over and make this presence regular.

The return of American soldiers is part of a sensitive history: in 1989, the United States invaded Panama to overthrow Manuel Noriega, prosecuted for drug trafficking. The current deployment, however, is presented as a training mission. Asked by the New York Times about the American projects, the Panamanian authorities did not respond.

The battalion is then scheduled to participate in Southern Vanguard, a military exercise scheduled for the end of October in Colombia. According to American officials cited in the article, some of its soldiers could also provide security for helicopters used in the region in support of American special forces. They could also intervene to help the latter.

These special forces advise local units which carry out raids against people suspected of drug trafficking. A rescue mission could therefore expose the soldiers of the battalion to combat. An American official interviewed by the daily underlines the risk of increasing commitment: if American soldiers were attacked by armed groups, Washington could decide to retaliate.

The effect of numbers

Other soldiers are to train in Honduras. The information published, however, does not specify either the authorized operations or the distribution of the 600 men between the three destinations. The Colombian and Honduran governments did not respond to requests for clarification from The New York Times.