{"id":2686261,"date":"2026-10-17T08:15:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T12:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-sends-600-soldiers-into-latin-america-as-trump-turns-up-heat-on-cartels\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T08:20:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T12:20:06","slug":"pentagon-sends-600-soldiers-into-latin-america-as-trump-turns-up-heat-on-cartels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-sends-600-soldiers-into-latin-america-as-trump-turns-up-heat-on-cartels\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon Sends 600 Soldiers Into Latin America as Trump Turns Up Heat on Cartels"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpentagon-sends-600-soldiers-into-latin-america-as-trump-turns-up-heat-on-cartels%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2686261&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A U.S. military battalion from the 10th Mountain Division has begun deploying troops to Latin America, primarily to support efforts against drug trafficking. The deployment includes training at a jungle warfare facility in Panama and collaborating with forces in Colombia and Honduras, with potential involvement in advising on raids targeting traffickers. Additionally, several hundred soldiers are staffing a new command in Miami to bolster regional operations. This escalation reflects the pentagon&#8217;s increased focus on combating organized crime and drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere, moving beyond decades of limited engagement in the region. Recently,U.S. forces have enhanced their counter-drug actions, including partnerships with Ecuadorian law enforcement and increased troop and drone deployments, amid concerns over China&#8217;s growing influence and organized crime&#8217;s proliferation in Latin America.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A 600-troop battalion stationed at Fort Drum, New York has begun deploying to Latin America.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">This battalion from the 10th Mountain Division is deploying as part of the Pentagon\u2019s increased efforts to combat drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, the New York Times<a class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/10\/14\/us\/politics\/us-troops-latin-america.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> reported<\/a> Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">The troops will begin with training at a new <a class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.war.gov\/News\/Transcripts\/Transcript\/Article\/4573167\/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-holds-a-press-availability-at-the-jungle-operatio\/\">jungle warfare facility<\/a> in Panama, then eventually training partner forces in Columbia and Honduras.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">They also may assist special operations forces in advising militaries conducting raids against suspected drug traffickers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">In addition to this deployment, several hundred soldiers from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mccarthy-endorses-rep-stefanik-to-replace-rep-cheney\/\" title=\"McCarthy endorses Rep. Stefanik to replace Rep. Cheney\">10th mountain division<\/a> will assist in staffing a new command supporting western hemisphere in Miami, an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >anonymous military official told<\/a> the outlet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">\u201cWe do not disclose details or comment on U.S. personnel deployment or operational movements due to operational security concerns,\u201d United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) media relations officer Steven McLoud told the DCNF when asked for confirmation of the deployment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Over the past several months, the Pentagon has drastically increased its counter-cartel actions in the Western Hemisphere. American special forces partnered with Ecuadorian law enforcement to take down a drug trafficking ring with ties to Mexican cartels on Sept. 24.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Five hundred troops were deployed to the Rio Grande Valley on the US-Mexico border on Oct. 2. Most recently, Reaper drones previously used to target jihadi terrorists were redeployed from Africa to South America.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">For decades, Latin America has not been a primary focus of the United States Military. Meanwhile, China has gained economic dominance with its Belt and Road Initiative and transnational organized crime has run rampant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">\u201cWe have ceded economic dominance in the region to an adversary, and that is a fact \u2026 we are fighting now to retake terrain \u2014 maritime and land, human terrain, cognitive terrain \u2014 in many cases that we\u2019ve given up previously,\u201d the Army\u2019s Western Hemisphere Command leader, General Joseph A. Ryan remarked at the Association of the United States Army\u2019s (AUSA) October annual meeting in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter\u2019s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 600-strong battalion from Fort Drum, NY, is deploying to Latin America to support U.S. efforts against drug trafficking, starting with jungle training in Panama<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2686262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_4301.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[33709,39360,36710,41549,32640],"class_list":["post-2686261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-border-security","tag-drug-cartels","tag-latin-america","tag-military-deployment","tag-trump-administration"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_4301.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2686261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2686261"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2686261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2686265,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2686261\/revisions\/2686265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2686262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2686261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2686261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2686261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}