The United States has ordered the deployment of spy planes, a warship and even a submarine to the Southern Caribbean Sea to address the growing threat posed by Latin American drug cartels.
The directive marks yet another escalation by President Donald Trump, who has long wanted to use the military to go after the drug gangs that he has designated as global terrorist organizations.
Just last week, he had ordered the Pentagon to prepare military options in the region, and the Department of Defense has now ordered the deployment of US air and naval forces, two sources briefed on the decision told Reuters.
The Trump administration has also previously deployed at least two warships to help in border security efforts and drug trafficking - an issue that the president focused on in his campaign.
The US military has also already increased its airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels to collect intelligence to determine how to best counter their activities.
