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The United States military deployed over 4,000 Marines and sailors in the waters of Latin America and the Caribbean as part of an unprecedented offensive against criminal organizations that the Donald Trump administration has classified as "narcoterrorists."
The operation, confirmed by sources from the Pentagon to CNN and Reuters, marks a drastic shift in Washington's security strategy, which now places the fight against cartels on the same level as the war against global terrorism.
The Amphibious Ready Group of Iwo Jima and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) have integrated into Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), in a move that also includes destroyers, a nuclear attack submarine, reconnaissance aircraft, and a guided missile cruiser. USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale, and USS San Antonio lead the naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea.
Although the Pentagon insists that the military presence aims to "send a message of deterrence," the scale of the resources involved provides President Donald Trump with a wide range of offensive options. The MEUs are equipped with combat air capability and have been used in the past for evacuation operations and crisis control in areas of high international tension.
The political backdrop reinforces the extraordinary nature of the measure. In recent months, the State Department added six Mexican cartels —including Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación—, the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela, and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) to its list of foreign terrorist organizations.
Washington justifies its decision by stating that these criminal structures pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” due to their involvement in drug trafficking, weapons, and migrants, as well as their presence on U.S. soil.
Reports from the New York Times indicate that the new policy allows the Army to take on responsibilities that were previously reserved for civilian agencies, such as the pursuit and neutralization of suspects abroad.
At the same time, surveillance drones have intensified their flights over Mexico and Venezuela, and it has been reported that detainees linked to these organizations are being transferred to the Guantanamo Naval Base.
Reactions in the region have been swift. Mexico expressed its rejection of the United States acting unilaterally and warned that such measures could be interpreted as a gateway to direct intervention.
In Caracas, the regime of Nicolás Maduro has been once again pointed out by Washington, which designated the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization and offered 50 million dollars for the capture of the Venezuelan leader.
The military reinforcement in the Caribbean Sea revives old tensions in Latin America and brings to the forefront the debate on the militarization of the anti-drug fight, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the region.
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