Pentagon Official Outlines Expansion of U.S.-Supported Counter-Cartel Operations in Latin America

By Nick Turse

*Published: 2026-03-23*

A senior Pentagon official told Congress last week that recent joint military actions against drug cartels in Latin America represent an initial phase of broader efforts across the Western Hemisphere.

Joseph Humire, acting assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas security affairs, informed members of the House Armed Services Committee that strikes targeting Latin American drug cartels along the Colombia-Ecuador border are "just the beginning." Humire's remarks followed reports of Ecuadorian military operations, supported by the United States, against groups designated as terrorist organizations.

These operations, which Ecuador has named “Operation Total Extermination,” targeted transnational criminal organizations operating near the border, according to statements from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense. The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed support for "bilateral kinetic actions against cartel targets," as described by Humire. On March 3, 2026, Ecuadorian forces conducted strikes in this region, with U.S. assistance providing capabilities such as intelligence and logistical support.

One incident during the March 3 operation involved a 500-pound bomb that landed unexploded in Colombian territory near the border, possibly due to a ricochet effect from a targeted farm, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. Colombian authorities reported no casualties from the unexploded ordnance.

Humire described the actions as "joint land strikes," emphasizing U.S. provision of "capabilities that [Ecuadorian forces] otherwise would not have." A White House war powers report to Congress on March 6, 2026, notified lawmakers of additional "military action taken... against the facilities of narco-terrorists affiliated with a designated terrorist organization." The report specified involvement in hostilities in Ecuador.

These land-based operations build on Operation Southern Spear, a U.S.-led maritime campaign targeting cartel-linked vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. Since September 2025, the operation has involved 46 strikes, destroying 48 boats and resulting in approximately 80 cartel members killed, according to Pentagon statements. The most recent strike, on March 19, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean, killed two individuals identified as cartel affiliates and left one survivor. The Trump administration has identified at least 24 cartels and criminal gangs as targets but has not publicly named all of them.

The land strikes address threats from groups such as FARC dissident factions and Border Commands, which maintain weapons caches and training camps in the Ecuador-Colombia border region, according to Ecuadorian and U.S. intelligence assessments. Ecuadorian officials reported that the March operations destroyed several such sites, disrupting cartel logistics.

Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that while "boat strikes are not the answer" on their own, they form "just one small part" of a larger "counter-cartel campaign process that puts total systemic friction across this network." Donovan described current efforts as potentially an extension of Operation Southern Spear.

Humire did not provide a specific number of planned terrestrial strikes across nearly 20 Latin American and Caribbean nations but affirmed to Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, that the Defense Department anticipates "a lot more terrestrial strikes."

The Office of the Secretary of Defense did not respond to requests for further details on the scale of expansion.

Humire stated that the U.S.-Ecuadorian efforts are "setting the pace for regional, deterrence-focused operations against cartel infrastructure throughout Latin America and the Caribbean." He described deterrence as having a "signaling effect on narco-terrorists, and raises the risks with their movements." Pentagon officials have used "deterrence" to refer to targeted lethal actions aimed at disrupting criminal networks, distinct from non-kinetic measures like economic sanctions or diplomacy.


In recent months, the U.S. has pursued actions against Venezuelan leadership, including the January 2026 detention of President Nicolás Maduro following targeted operations, according to U.S. officials. Federal prosecutors have prepared an indictment against interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez on corruption and money laundering charges, sources familiar with the matter told The Intercept. Rodríguez has assumed leadership under a transitional government recognized by the U.S.

The Trump administration has also engaged in discussions regarding Cuba, imposing an oil blockade in January 2026 that has contributed to energy shortages, including multiple blackouts on the island, one lasting over 29 hours. U.N. human rights experts have criticized the blockade as a potential violation of international law. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel referenced U.S. intentions to "seize the country" in a post on X, pledging resistance.

Historical U.S.-Cuba tensions include the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, multiple CIA assassination attempts against Fidel Castro, and sabotage operations such as bombings of sugar mills and burning of cane fields during the Cold War. Declassified documents from 1962 reveal Joint Chiefs of Staff plans for false-flag operations to justify intervention, including simulated attacks on Cuban refugees or U.S. ships. Similar plans targeted Cuba's electrical infrastructure.

A Pentagon spokesperson, Maj. Annabel Monroe, referred questions about current Joint Chiefs involvement to SOUTHCOM, which directed inquiries to the State Department. The State Department did not respond.

Humire emphasized that current efforts are "partner-led deterrence operations" but did not rule out unilateral U.S. actions. He noted agreements with 17 partner nations as part of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, formally announced by President Trump at the Shield of the Americas summit earlier this month. Coalition members signed a joint security declaration explicitly requesting U.S. support for bilateral and multilateral operations against cartels and terrorist organizations.

When asked about sovereignty concerns among the 18 nations involved (including the U.S.), Humire stated that "members of the coalition specifically signed a joint security declaration mentioning that they want this support and most of them all are looking for this." The declaration affirms mutual commitment to countering transnational threats without detailing specific operational permissions.

Humire added that U.S. actions in Venezuela have influenced regional dynamics, including leverage on Cuba and Nicaragua, as well as broader shifts in the Caribbean toward U.S. security interests.

Reports of a potential U.S. indictment against Colombian President Gustavo Petro on drug trafficking charges—similar to charges against Maduro—have surfaced in official leaks. Petro has denied any ties to traffickers. A former defense official, speaking anonymously due to current employment, suggested to The Intercept that these leaks, combined with the Ecuador-Colombia border strikes, may aim to create tensions. President Trump, when asked about Colombia in January, reportedly said, "It sounds good to me."

The U.S. has expanded its law enforcement presence in Ecuador, establishing a permanent FBI office alongside Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security agents. Prior to the border operations, Gen. Donovan visited Quito to meet President Daniel Noboa and Ecuadorian defense officials.

In August 2025, Lt. Col. Phillip Vaughn, commander of an Air Force Special Operations task group in the region, coordinated meetings with Ecuadorian forces on interoperability, including close air support, operational planning, and joint terminal attack controller training for border threats from Colombia.

These developments align with the Trump administration's National Security Strategy, which invokes a "Trump Corollary" to the 1823 Monroe Doctrine. The original doctrine aimed to deter European intervention in the Western Hemisphere. The updated version prioritizes U.S. military readjustments to counter regional threats like cartels, described as a "potent restoration of American power and priorities."

Critics have raised concerns about the legal basis for these operations. Rebecca Ingber, a former State Department lawyer and current Cardozo Law School professor, argued that rapid escalation risks bypassing constitutional requirements for congressional authorization. "This Administration is barely paying lip service to the constitutional or international law governing the use of force. But we have these rules for a reason," Ingber said.

Supporters, including coalition partners, highlight the severe impact of cartels, which control smuggling routes, engage in extortion, and maintain armed presence in border areas. Ecuador President Noboa declared a state of emergency in January 2024 amid cartel prison riots and urban violence, seeking international aid. Similar crises in Colombia and elsewhere have prompted regional leaders to endorse U.S. involvement.

The coalition's declaration underscores shared recognition of cartels as a hemispheric security challenge, with partners committing to intelligence sharing and joint training. Right-leaning analysts, such as those from the Heritage Foundation, have praised the approach as a necessary response to weakened hemispheric security post-Biden administration, citing over 1,000 cartel-related murders in Ecuador alone in 2025.

Pentagon officials maintain that operations minimize civilian risks through precision targeting, with post-strike assessments confirming narco affiliations in most cases. No civilian deaths have been confirmed in the land strikes to date, though investigations continue into border incidents.

As these efforts expand, lawmakers from both parties have sought details on scope, costs, and exit strategies. Rep. Smith questioned the pace of escalation, while some Republicans, including members of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed support for aggressive counter-narcotics measures.

The Defense Department has not released a full casualty breakdown for Southern Spear but attributes all reported deaths to cartel personnel based on signals intelligence and battle damage assessments. Independent verification remains limited due to operational security.

In Venezuela, the transitional government's cooperation with U.S. anti-corruption efforts has stabilized oil production, according to State Department reports, though humanitarian challenges persist amid sanctions.

Cuba's energy woes predate the blockade, stemming from aging infrastructure and maintenance issues, Cuban officials have acknowledged, though the fuel restrictions have exacerbated shortages.

Overall, the U.S. strategy emphasizes partner capacity-building, with $500 million allocated in the 2026 budget for counter-cartel aid, including equipment and training for coalition nations.

Humire's testimony signals a shift toward integrated land, sea, and air operations, with coalition buy-in mitigating sovereignty issues. Regional leaders, facing cartel incursions that have killed thousands and displaced communities, view U.S. support as essential.

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