Colombia has authorized the United States to conduct joint military operations on Colombian territory in the fight against drug trafficking, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday in Panama.
Hegseth made the announcement during a meeting of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, a U.S.-led alliance comprising approximately 20 countries. He stated that Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who recently took office, requested that the U.S. Department of Defense participate in Colombia's efforts against narcoterrorism through authorized joint military operations aimed at destroying terrorists and terrorist networks.
The cooperation announcement follows Colombia's decision to join the anti-drug coalition led by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hegseth said Colombia became the nineteenth member of the coalition, officially known as the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, or A3C.
"I am proud to announce that Colombia will join the A3C, becoming the nineteenth member, and through the newly inaugurated president, as our president likes to say, President El Tigre, Colombia has already requested that the Department of War join Colombia in its fight against narcoterrorism, authorizing joint military operations to destroy terrorists and terrorist networks," Hegseth said during the coalition meeting in Panama City.
Hegseth also displayed a photograph of the agreement signed by Colombia formalizing its entry into the coalition. The Defense Secretary referred to the U.S. Department of Defense informally as the "Department of War" during his remarks.
The announcement represents a formal expansion of military cooperation between the two nations in counternarcotics efforts. The joint operations are intended to target drug trafficking organizations and associated terrorist groups operating within Colombian borders.
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