U.S. to Send 600 Troops to Panama, Honduras, and Colombia for Exercises
Personnel from the 10th Mountain Division battalion, based at Fort Drum, New York, have already begun moving to a new jungle training facility in Panama. From there, military rotations will continue to Colombia and Honduras to participate in exercises with the forces of those countries. That is the information published this Wednesday, October 14, by […]
The U.S. Army is sending 600 soldiers to conduct exercises and training with local forces in Panama, Honduras, and Colombia. These troops are departing from Fort Drum, New York, where they are currently based. The deployment is part of the U.S.-led Shield of the Americas initiative, aimed at combating drug trafficking and terrorism in the region.
Pentagon officials told The New York Times that the soldiers may assist in securing U.S. helicopters and support special operations forces working against suspected drug traffickers. This move is seen as part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to increase military pressure on the cartels.
In addition to the 600 soldiers, the Pentagon plans to deploy several hundred more from the same division to a new command center in Miami. This deployment is also connected to the transfer of MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to Colombia and Ecuador. These drones primarily gather intelligence and can carry out targeted bombings.
While Colombia and Honduras have agreed to joint operations, other regional partners have not yet officially accepted this arrangement. The initial deployment is temporary, though officials suggested these rotations could become more permanent. The Pentagon declined to comment on the specifics of the deployment but emphasized the goal of deepening cooperation with allies to confront criminal networks in the region.
Written by urgent.news from Colombia One's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
