Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced in Panama that Colombia will join the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition as its 19th member and that the country’s newly inaugurated president has requested U.S. forces join joint military operations to destroy narco-terrorist networks.
The initiative, also known as “Shield of the Americas,” grew out of a March summit between President Trump and Latin American nations focused on joint action against drug cartels. Hegseth said Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella has authorized the Department of War to participate.
Over the past two days, 19 coalition members met in Panama to coordinate their efforts. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said members share a common understanding of the threat from criminal networks and that their complementary capabilities can create sustained pressure on those groups. The coalition agreed to refine priority campaigns, assign lead nations, establish working groups and begin assessing its operations.
Hegseth said coalition members are united behind a shared vision of a safe, secure Western Hemisphere where borders and laws are respected and narco-terrorists are brought to “swift and absolute justice.”
He also highlighted nearly one year of Operation Southern Spear, citing reductions in narco-vessel movements of at least 65% in the western Caribbean, 60% in the eastern Caribbean and nearly 50% in the eastern Pacific. He also pointed to declines in fentanyl flows, fatal drug overdoses and southwest border crossings.
