The United States Department of Defense is deploying more troops to Panama to participate in jungle warfare training, as part of the U.S. military’s expanded military efforts against drug trafficking groups in Latin America.
According to The Hill, nearly 200 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Drum in New York State are being sent to a jungle training facility in Panama for survival and tactical training. The U.S. Embassy in Panama stated that currently, 120 soldiers are participating in a two-week course.
An unnamed U.S. official stated that these soldiers will not be involved in anti-drug training. The official mentioned on Thursday that the troops will return to the United States after completing the training program that lasts for several weeks. The U.S. Embassy in Panama indicated that the related courses will conclude on October 25.
The U.S. Southern Command, responsible for overseeing U.S. military operations in Central and South America, has not commented on the matter. However, a Department of Defense official told The Hill that the joint jungle warfare training between the U.S. military and the Panamanian military demonstrates the efforts of the Americas’s Anti-Drug Alliance (A3C) in “collaborating with allies and partners, building complementary capabilities, and maintaining sustained engagement.”
“This action can further enhance the combat capabilities of U.S. and partner country forces in harsh jungle environments, where drug trafficking groups often hide,” the Department of Defense official said, citing operational security concerns for not disclosing more details.
Last fall, after more than twenty years, the U.S. military resumed joint jungle warfare training with the Panamanian security forces. During the training, soldiers not only engage in weapon drills but also learn various survival skills, including water purification, navigating in dense vegetation, and constructing shelters.
The U.S. Department of Defense has been expanding its multi-faceted operations against drug trafficking groups in Latin America, including targeting and destroying suspected drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and East Pacific. The U.S. military has recently begun deploying troops for ground operations to assist Ecuadorian authorities in conducting raids on suspected drug traffickers.
General Francis L. Donovan, Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, recently stated that the focus of the U.S. anti-drug efforts is on destroying illegal networks, targeting network logistics, preventing adversaries from rebuilding, strengthening the sovereignty and security of partner countries, and building strong alliances.