After killing hundreds in boat strikes, US military expands campaign on land in Latin America
The plan would expand a campaign that has killed more than 200 people in over 60 boat strikes, officials and analysts 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.
65 Articles
65 Articles
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.
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…
After killing hundreds in boat strikes, U.S. military expands campaign on land in Latin America
The Trump administration says it is seeking to extend that lethal campaign to land, pursuing deals that would put U.S. forces on the ground in allied nations across the region
US seeks Latin America land raids after deadly anti-drug boat strikes
The Trump administration is pushing Latin American allies to allow joint US military operations on land after deadly anti-drug strikes at sea. The move could deepen security cooperation but sharpen concerns over sovereignty, legality and civilian casualties.
Associated Press News
After killing hundreds in boat strikes, US military expands campaign on land in Latin America
Hundreds of people have been killed in the year since the U.S. military began bombing boats it accused of ferrying drugs off Latin America’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Now, the Trump administration says it is seeking to extend that lethal campaign to land, pursuing deals that would put U.S. forces on the ground in allied nations across the region.
After Killing Hundreds in Attacks on Ships, the US Army Expands Its Ground Campaign in Latin America
Hundreds of people have died in the past year since the U.S. military began bombing boats that it accused of transporting drugs off the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Latin America. Now, the Trump administration claims it seeks to extend that lethal campaign to land, by pushing forward agreements that would put U.S. soldiers on the ground in allied countries across the region.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 59% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
