Colombia Seeks US Military Help in Anti-Cartel Fight
Colombia's new president requests US joint military operations against drug cartels, joining the 19-member Shield of the Americas initiative.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that Colombia's newly inaugurated government has formally requested American collaboration in joint military operations to combat what he termed "narco-terrorism."
Speaking at a meeting of the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition in Panama City, Hegseth confirmed that Colombia would become the 19th member of the "Shield of the Americas" initiative. That program was established following a March summit between US President Donald Trump and Latin American leaders focused on coordinated action against drug trafficking organizations.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who was sworn in last week and goes by the nickname "El Tigre," had previously signaled his administration's intention to join the US-led effort. The Colombian government has not yet issued an official response to Hegseth's announcement.
The new Colombian leader was not part of the original March summit, as his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, was not invited to those talks.
In a separate development, Hegseth urged Latin American nations present at the Panama meeting to withdraw recognition of the International Criminal Court (ICC). He argued that the court's actions undermine national sovereignty and that US military operations against suspected drug traffickers in the region "are entirely legal under international humanitarian law."
The Trump administration has been pushing to dismantle the ICC, citing arrest warrants issued against senior Israeli officials related to the Gaza conflict and investigations into US personnel in Afghanistan. The wire report did not specify what actions, if any, the ICC has taken that might affect US operations in Latin America.