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U.S. plans ground attacks against Latin American cartels
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced plans for ground attacks against drug trafficking organizations across Latin America. Speaking at a meeting of the Coalition Against the Americas' Cartels (A3C) in Panama, Hegseth stated that the U.S. intends to target criminal groups “wherever they traffic drugs” or threaten American interests.
The A3C, which now includes 19 nations, has expanded with the addition of Colombia. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has authorized joint operations to dismantle terrorist networks. However, major regional powers Mexico and Brazil are not members of the coalition. The U.S. designation of Brazilian criminal groups, such as the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho, as terrorist organizations has been rejected by the Brazilian government as an attempt at domestic intervention.
In a separate but related warning, Hegseth stated that the United States does not rule out military intervention in Cuba. He urged the Havana government to respect the strategic prerogatives of the Trump administration, noting that all options, including military action, remain on the table. Hegseth also linked the influence of Russia, Iran, and Venezuela to regional security concerns.
Entities
Abelardo De La Espriella · Coalition Against the Americas' Cartels · Donald Trump · Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva · Pete Hegseth
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The United States classifies the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho as terrorist organizations. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.osul.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Colombia has joined the A3C coalition. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.osul.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Coalition Against the Americas' Cartels (A3C) now includes 19 member nations. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.osul.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Washington links Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba to regional power calculations. www.ocafezinho.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Colombian president authorized joint operations to dismantle terrorist networks. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.osul.com.br
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The United States does not rule out military intervention in Cuba. www.ocafezinho.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The United States plans to conduct ground attacks against criminal organizations in Latin America. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.osul.com.br
- [● 2 SOURCES] Brazil rejects the terrorist designation of its criminal groups, viewing it as an attempt at domestic intervention. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.osul.com.br