US plans attacks on land against drug cartels in Latin America, says Hegseth

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. is planning land-based attacks against drug cartels and traffickers in Latin America. The upcoming operations represent a significant expansion of existing U.S. military efforts against the drug trade, which previously focused primarily on an airstrike campaign targeting presumed drug-running vessels operating in international waters.

The announcement was made by Hegseth while he was in Panama, where he attended the closing ceremony of the multinational Panamax 2026 military exercises. The initiative builds upon previous U.S. actions in the region, following a presidential directive first introduced the previous September concerning regional counter-narcotics enforcement.