PANAMA CITY (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said the recently inaugurated government of Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has requested U.S. collaboration in joint military operations in Colombia to combat “narco-terrorism.”During a meeting of the so-called Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition in Panama, Hegseth said Colombia would also join the “Shield of the Americas” initiative, becoming its 19th member. The initiative emerged from a March summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Latin American countries that sought to join forces in fighting drug cartels. Colombia’s then-President Gustavo Petro was not invited to that meeting.“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 narco-terrorism, authorizing joint military operations to destroy terrorists and terror networks,” Hegseth said.
The government of de la Espriella, who was sworn in last week and is known as “The Tigr” or “El Tigre,” did not immediately comment on the announcement in Panama. But the conservative leader has previously said his administration would join the U.S. initiative.Separately, Hegseth urged the Latin American countries at the meeting not to recognize the International Criminal Court, or ICC. The U.S. under Trump has carried out military strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the region, which have raised questions about their legality.
