US plans attacks on land against drug cartels in Latin America: Hegseth
PANAMA CITY: The United States is planning land attacks against drug traffickers in Latin America, expanding an airstrike campaign against presumed drug-running boats in international waters, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said in Panama.
The United States plans to launch land attacks against drug cartels in Latin America, according to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth's statement in Panama. This comes after the expansion of an airstrike campaign against suspected drug boats in international waters, which resulted in the deaths of at least 215 people in September last year.
The new plan to combat drug trafficking on land will be part of an alliance of 19 countries led by the US. Hegseth stated that the US hopes to deploy forces alongside its allies, similar to the strikes conducted on drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. The aim is to work with Ecuador, Colombia, and other partners to bring the fight to the DTOs (drug trafficking organizations) on land.
Hegseth emphasized that any entity involved in drug trafficking or threatening Americans or allies would be considered a target, drawing parallels to terrorist organizations like ISIS or Al Qaeda. The Counter Cartel Coalition, a group comprising countries with right-wing governments, includes Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Peru.
Mexico, despite being home to powerful drug cartels, is not a member of the alliance due to its left-leaning government. Hegseth defended the attacks on alleged drug boats, stating that the US aims to destroy these networks using every capability of the American government.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
