Peru Joins US-Led 'Shield of the Americas' Anti-Drug Coalition

Peru will join the United States-led "Shield of the Americas" coalition against drug cartels, President Keiko Fujimori announced on Thursday during a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marking an early deepening of security cooperation under her presidency.

Speaking at a joint news conference, Fujimori said Peru's participation would accelerate intelligence-sharing and strengthen joint operations against criminal groups that operate across borders. She said the country appreciated the opportunity, noting that Peru's past experience confronting terrorism had taught it how difficult it is to fight criminality today — an apparent reference to the Shining Path insurgency her father, former President Alberto Fujimori, moved against during his decade in power from 1990 to 2000.

Rubio welcomed Lima's decision, describing the initiative as a means to "shield the region" from organizations that threaten the sovereignty of countries across the hemisphere. He said the region remained a priority for Washington and that more such initiatives would follow. "US getting involved in the region is not a favor. It is essential to our own security, to our own prosperity, to our own well-being in America. And this administration is committed to this," he said.

The trip, the final leg of a three-nation Latin American tour that also took in Ecuador and Colombia, is the highest-level US visit to Peru since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025. Counternarcotics, migration and trade topped the agenda, as Washington pursues closer security and commercial ties with conservative governments in the region while countering China's influence in mining and infrastructure. Peru is the world's third-largest copper producer.

The two countries have already moved to tighten defence links. In January, the United States designated Peru a major non-NATO ally, and the State Department approved a possible $1.5 billion foreign military sale covering design and construction work at Callao Naval Base, Peru's main naval hub.

Peru's Foreign Ministry had signalled in recent months that Lima might join the coalition as part of a broader effort to strengthen border security and coordination against transnational crime.

Fujimori said officials also discussed US support for Peru's preparations for a possible emergency linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Peruvian government sources said the country is also seeking relief from US tariffs after Trump raised duties in late July to 12.5% from 10% on imports from 60 trading partners, including Peru, citing failures to stop imports involving forced labour. Although Peru has traded largely tariff-free under a 2009 agreement, the new duties have hit agricultural exports, particularly blueberries, grapes and avocados.

As Lima negotiates the removal of those duties, China continues to outpace the United States in trade with Peru. Peru's trade with China rose 35% in the first half of the year, exceeding a 20% increase in trade with the US, according to official data. Bilateral trade with China is on track to surpass the more than $50 billion recorded in 2025, compared with roughly $19 billion in trade with the United States that year.

China's embassy in Peru defended its trade and political ties this week ahead of Rubio's visit. Beijing operates copper mines and has expanded its footprint in Peru's energy and infrastructure sectors. "The Western Hemisphere is not anyone's 'backyard'," the Chinese embassy in Lima said late on Tuesday on X.

Rubio's trip coincided with the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, where Trump hopes to energise core supporters and help the party retain its congressional majorities.