US expands military campaign against drug cartels in Latin America

The US is expanding its military campaign against drug cartels in Latin America, with a 600-strong battalion being deployed to Panama, according to The New York Times. This move comes as President Donald Trump prioritizes combating cartels during his second term. However, experts argue that the policy is more focused on creating a visible narrative rather than effectively disrupting organized crime, as cartel-related shipments continue to reach record levels.

Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.