Photo of Joel Rivera-Camacho in Unsplash
The United States government announced the deployment of air and naval forces in the southern Caribbean Sea as part of a massive operation to disrupt drug trafficking routes used by organizations recently classified as terrorist groups.
Labor of military troops
According to the Pentagon, the mission includes warships, patrol aircraft, and rapid response units that will operate both in international waters and in strategic areas near allied coasts. The objective is to cut off the flow of cocaine and other drugs into the United States, a route historically dominated by Latin American cartels.
The reason for the military deployment
The operation is a direct response to the executive order signed in early August by President Donald Trump, authorizing the use of military force against foreign cartels designated as terrorist organizations. This measure will allow the Department of Defense to operate outside U.S. borders within a strengthened legal framework.
Official sources indicated that the deployment is not limited to maritime interdiction tasks, but also includes intelligence, surveillance, and cooperation with countries in the region to attack drug trafficking logistics networks.
The announcement has generated mixed reactions. While security sectors applaud the action as a significant blow against transnational mafias, critics warn of the risk of diplomatic incidents and a possible escalation of tensions in the region.
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