The United States has begun moving the first soldiers from a battalion of the 10th Mountain Division, numbering about 600 people, to Panama, the “New York Times“ reports, citing US officials. The unit is based in Fort Drum, New York, and the soldiers will be directed to a new training site in the jungle.
The deployment is part of the expansion of the US campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America. After training in Panama, the soldiers are to train with local forces in Colombia and Honduras. Colombia is scheduled to participate in the Southern Vanguard exercise, which is due to begin in late October.
Temporary rotations and possible longer mission
Some of the US contingent could provide additional security for US helicopters. Other service members could assist US special forces who advise local military forces on operations against suspected drug traffickers.
The rotations are intended to be temporary, but according to US officials, they could eventually become a more permanent part of Washington's military presence in the region. In parallel, several hundred more soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to be drawn to a new Western Hemisphere Operations Command based in Miami.
“I can't recall a single transfer of U.S. troops to the region that even comes close to 600, except in cases like invasions or natural disasters,“ said Adam Isaacson, director of defense oversight at the Washington Office of Latin America.Pentagon declines comment
The authorities of Panama, Colombia and Honduras did not respond to requests for information about Washington's plans. The US Southern Command referred questions to the Pentagon, which declined to comment on the transfer.
In early October, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Washington was expanding its military presence in Central and South America with Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama and allowed the deployment of US forces from Europe. In March, the US and Ecuador launched a joint operation against drug trafficking groups in Ecuador.
Sources: rbc.ru, aa.com.tr