The top U.S. general in Latin America and the Caribbean says land strikes against drug cartels are on the table.
Gen. Francis Donovan, the Marine four-star who leads U.S. Southern Command, made the remarks in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that was featured in a Tuesday article. His comments come as the Pentagon broadens its campaign against trafficking networks across Central America, South America and the Caribbean. That campaign began with strikes on suspected smuggling boats one year ago.
"Do I see land strikes as options? Yes," Donovan said. "We want all options at the table."
He described a wide range of possible actions.
"Those actions might be strikes, arrests, or the takedown of a safe house," Donovan explained. "It could even be something as routine as increasing the use of cargo scanners at border checkpoints."
His stated aim is to create "total systemic friction" for the cartels.
U.S. forces are already moving past the boat strikes. Last week, roughly 50 American troops and law enforcement personnel accompanied Ecuadorean police on early morning raids targeting an alleged cocaine ring tied to a Mexican cartel. Ecuadorean officials said it was the first time U.S. troops had taken a direct part in police raids there. This year the U.S. military has also helped Ecuador bomb a suspected trafficking camp. It also worked with Venezuela on a strike that killed the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Moving from sea to land could invite more legal scrutiny, The Journal noted. The Trump administration has argued the U.S. is in an armed conflict with cartels. Legal experts and lawmakers dispute that, and they note that Congress has not authorized such a war, according to The Journal.
The State Department told Congress earlier this month that it plans to redirect $52 million in foreign military financing to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama, according to The Journal. The money would let those Latin American countries purchase more American weapons and military services.
