Colombia has given Washington its authorization to carry out joint anti-drug operations, American Defense Minister Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday August 12. This agreement allows the United States to take a new step in its fight against drug trafficking in Latin America.
Bogota has “asked the Pentagon to join Colombia in its fight against narcoterrorism, by authorizing joint military operations”said Pete Hegseth from Panama, where he is traveling. “Pro-active and concrete measures like these perfectly illustrate the type of participation (…) what we expect from our partners »he added.
Ally of Donald Trump, the new Colombian far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, recently inaugurated, was elected, in particular, on the promise of eradicating criminal groups profiting from drug trafficking as well as guerrillas, at a time when the country is experiencing the worst wave of violence in the last ten years. Six members of armed groups were killed on August 9 during the first military operations of his mandate.
At least 215 people already killed
Already in the early 2000s, Bogota and Washington maintained close military collaboration, dedicated to the offensive against guerrillas, such as that of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Since September 2025, Washington has been carrying out a campaign of strikes in the Pacific and the Caribbean targeting boats presented as participating in drug trafficking activities supplying the United States. At least 215 people were killed in this series of military operations.
The Trump administration has not provided any documentation proving that the targeted boats were used in drug trafficking operations. Many experts denounce illegal strikes which target civilians who represent no threat to the United States.
