Pentagon increases war against drug cartels in South America – KBOI

Pentagon increases war against drug cartels in South America  KBOI

The Pentagon is increasing its pressure and war against drug cartels from South America. Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the military has been going after alleged narco-terrorists from South America. Last year, Hegseth announced the military struck two vessels that were moving along the Eastern Pacific and killed six alleged narco-terrorists. "These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific," he said on X in November of 2025. U.S. special forces have begun to lay ground work with authorities from Ecuador to carry out raids against alleged drug traffickers . “Based on our assessment of what needs to be done, this plan focuses on five core lines of effort: dismantling illicit networks, attacking network logistics, preventing adversary regeneration, bolstering partner sovereignty and security, and building a strong coalition,” U.S.

Southern Command Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan said in a statement to The Hill newspaper. Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, he has been focused on cracking down on drug trafficking. The military has been working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to begin to lead raids to stop the drug trafficking, one U.S. official told The Hill. “Then we bring our special operations forces with their