Several hundred U.S. Army soldiers are preparing to deploy to Latin America for training and joint exercises with regional forces, as the Trump administration broadens its campaign against drug-trafficking organizations, according to Fox News and The New York Times.
The troops are from the 10th Mountain Division, headquartered at Fort Drum, New York. The first contingent is expected to come from a battalion of roughly 600 soldiers, with Panama identified as its initial destination, The Times reported. A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the troops are being positioned under U.S. Southern Command, or SOUTHCOM, which will decide their eventual assignments.
The Times reported that the soldiers are expected to begin at a recently established jungle training site in Panama. They are then expected to train alongside local forces in Colombia and Honduras. The supplied reports do not specify the deployment’s duration or provide a complete schedule for the exercises.
The troops could also provide support to U.S. special operations personnel advising local militaries on raids against suspected traffickers, The Times reported. Separately, several hundred soldiers from the division are expected to help staff a new military command for the Western Hemisphere, based in Miami.
The deployment comes as U.S. forces continue operations aimed at suspected drug traffickers in Latin America and the Caribbean. The source reports that U.S. forces have conducted dozens of strikes since the campaign began more than a year ago, resulting in more than 235 deaths. The material does not provide a breakdown of those deaths or further details about individual operations.
SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis Donovan has previously said that operations against trafficking networks on land were among the options under consideration. In remarks to The Wall Street Journal, Donovan described possible actions as including strikes, arrests, or the seizure of a safe house. He also cited increased use of cargo scanners at border checkpoints as a less forceful measure. Donovan said the broader aim was to create what he called “total systemic friction” for cartels.
The administration has pursued agreements with allied governments that could permit U.S. military activity against trafficking groups on their territory. During a visit to Panama in August, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow joint U.S. operations against criminal groups within their borders. Guatemala disputed that account, denying that it had reached such an agreement.
The deployment therefore occurs alongside both expanded military activity and unresolved questions about the scope of regional cooperation. The reports identify Panama as the initial destination and name Colombia and Honduras as planned training locations, while SOUTHCOM retains authority over the troops’ eventual placement. The available material does not establish that the soldiers will take part directly in raids or other operations against suspected traffickers.
