US military moves drug war to land after deadly boat strikes

The United States military is expanding its anti-drug campaign in Latin America from the sea to the land, following a year of deadly boat strikes that killed hundreds of people. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week in Panama that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow joint US military operations against criminal groups on their territory. Ecuador had already begun such missions in March.

Hegseth said the land operations would mirror the strikes on drug boats. "Same effect on land," he said during a military drill in Panama, adding that Washington was working with partners to "bring the fight" to designated terrorist organizations.

Guatemala has denied reaching such an agreement. President Bernardo Arévalo said joint anti-drug operations would be illegal without congressional approval. Colombia, Honduras and Ecuador did not respond to requests for comment.

The expansion marks a new phase in the Trump administration's push to assert "American dominance over the Western Hemisphere." Since returning to office in January 2025, Washington has designated 20 Latin American criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations, sent forces into Venezuela, and involved CIA agents in drug lab busts in Mexico. More than 200 people have been killed in over 60 boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Critics warn the widening campaign risks civilian casualties and a regional backlash. "What's going on is an attempt to legitimize the increased use of the US military in the region," said Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue. "This is not cooperation, it's obviously a very asymmetrical relationship."

Ecuador has emerged as the clearest case of direct US involvement, launching joint raids despite voters rejecting foreign military bases in a November 2025 referendum. A New York Times investigation found one strike on an alleged drug lab instead destroyed a cattle farm.

Mexico remains a notable outlier. President Claudia Sheinbaum has cooperated on security but resisted pressure for a US military role in fighting cartels on Mexican soil.

Experts question whether a more militarized approach will produce lasting gains. "The US bombs an ELN camp, what is the first thing the ELN are going to do? They're going to dismantle all their camps and move into the villages and towns," said Jeremy McDermott of InSight Crime.

Analysts also note that even right-wing leaders face limits on ceding sovereignty. "They also know there is only so much sovereignty they can cede before public opinion begins turning against them," said Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America.