Washington D.C. – The United States military is deploying air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean Sea in a new operation aimed at countering threats posed by Latin American drug cartels, according to reports from Reuters citing senior U.S. officials. The move represents a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s hardline stance against narcotrafficking, which it has increasingly framed as a national security and counter-terrorism issue.
The deployment, reportedly ordered by the Pentagon, is a direct consequence of the administration’s decision in February 2025 to designate several powerful cartels, including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and the Venezuelan transnational criminal gang Tren de Aragua, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
“This deployment is aimed at addressing threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region,” an unnamed official told Reuters. While the Pentagon has not yet released an official statement detailing the scope or name of the operation, the move aligns with President Donald Trump’s directive for the military to prepare options to actively pursue these groups.
The strategy marks a departure from purely law-enforcement-led interdiction efforts to a more militarized approach, reflecting the administration’s view that these multi-billion dollar criminal enterprises pose a direct threat to the United States.
Regional Leaders Denounce Deployment
The reports have drawn sharp condemnation from leaders in the region, who view the increased U.S. military presence as a violation of their sovereignty.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a forceful rebuke, calling on Latin American countries to safeguard their autonomy. “Any military operation that is not approved by our sister countries is an attack on Latin America and the Caribbean,” Petro stated in a social media post. He announced that he had ordered the Colombian Armed Forces to “defend our freedom from foreign incursions.”
President Petro emphasized a willingness to cooperate with any nation in the fight against drug trafficking through intelligence sharing and strengthening justice systems, but only on the basis of “respect for national sovereignty.”
Venezuelan officials, whose government and affiliated groups like the “Cartel of the Suns” have also been targeted by U.S. sanctions and FTO designations, have consistently condemned American pressure. While there has been no immediate official comment on this specific deployment, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil recently described related U.S. actions, such as a $50 million reward for President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest, as “crude political propaganda” and a “desperate distraction.”
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has yet to issue a formal statement on the matter, but the deployment is likely to raise concerns about regional stability and the militarization of what has traditionally been a law enforcement issue.
The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) maintains a constant presence in the region, frequently engaging in multinational exercises and humanitarian missions. However, this new operation appears to be a more direct and unilateral action, targeting specific groups under a counter-terrorism mandate and signaling a new, more confrontational phase in the U.S. war on drugs.
