Colombia authorises joint anti-drug ops with US military: Pentagon

Colombia has granted permission for the United States to engage in joint military operations against drug traffickers, as announced by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday. This move is aimed at bolstering Washington's ongoing campaign to combat cartels in Latin America. Bogota had previously requested the Pentagon's involvement in its fight against narco-terrorism, authorizing collaborative military actions to dismantle terrorist and terror networks, Hegseth stated at an anti-cartel conference in Panama.

The US military's aggressive and operationally-focused approach, as Hegseth emphasized, exemplifies the type of active participation desired from partners.

In September of last year, the US military initiated airstrikes targeting vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in at least 215 deaths thus far. However, the Trump administration has not provided conclusive evidence linking these vessels to drug trafficking. Legal experts and human rights groups argue that these strikes might constitute extrajudicial killings due to the apparent targeting of civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the United States.

Colombia's newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, pledged to eradicate criminal organizations profiting from drug trafficking amidst the country's most violent decade in South America. The hard-right leader, who succeeded leftist Gustavo Petro, vowed to halt the ineffective peace negotiations initiated by his predecessor and confront narcoterrorism relentlessly. To achieve this, he intends to form an alliance with Washington.

Colombia has officially joined the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, following Peru's membership in the "Shield of the Americas," an anti-cartel alliance led by President Trump and comprising pro-US governments in Latin America, such as Argentina, Ecuador, and El Salvador. These member states collaborate by sharing intelligence and coordinating their judicial and security forces to address transnational criminal activities.

De la Espriella, a first-time political leader who admires Trump and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, plans to intensify airstrikes against guerrillas and drug traffickers and has offered to host US troops on Colombian territory. Describing himself as "The Tiger," De la Espriella aims to forge a military alliance with the United States and Israel to bolster his war on guerrillas.

His proposed "Plan Colombia II" is reminiscent of a previous US$1 billion agreement with Washington in the 2000s, which aimed to combat drug cartels and leftist groups.