U.S. Southern Command established the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere on Aug. 4 to coordinate military action against organized criminal threats with regional partner states, adding a new operational structure to Washington’s expanding security role in Latin America. The task force’s creation follows the launch of a separate U.S.-led coalition intended to coordinate regional responses to transnational organized crime. Defense One described the two bodies as signs that SOUTHCOM is seeking broader cooperation in the region.
The task force is likely to be used soon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Aug. 12 that Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala had approved U.S. participation in combined operations against criminal entities. The announcement places the new command structure alongside agreements for joint action, although the passage does not identify the operations’ targets, locations or timing.
The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, created in March, is designed to coordinate regional actions against transnational organized crime. The Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere is intended to facilitate and coordinate activity by U.S. forces and partner-state security services. Together, the bodies provide separate mechanisms for regional coordination and military operations, according to the Defense One analysis.
SOUTHCOM’s partnership effort has also included direct support for a local security operation. In March, the command dispatched forces to assist Ecuadorian security forces in taking action against an alleged criminal hub inside Ecuador. The account does not specify the size, mission or duration of that deployment, but presents it as part of a broader effort to integrate U.S. forces into local security operations.
The new structures arrive as the administration pursues a more interventionist approach to Latin America. Operation Southern Spear, launched last year, began with U.S. Navy strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels, the Defense One account says. The operation has since been associated in the article with intensified U.S. economic and military pressure on Cuba and the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Those developments have made regional cooperation more politically sensitive, particularly because of Latin America’s history of U.S. interventionism.
The task force and coalition could give U.S. and SOUTHCOM officials venues to coordinate strategy, plan operations, manage disputes among participating governments and influence states that do not join. Defense One also reports that U.S. officials have pursued regional participation through political and material incentives, while linking some security and economic assistance to cooperation in areas of U.S. interest.
That approach reflects a practical tension in the new security architecture. Several Latin American governments are adopting tougher policies toward organized crime, creating potential room for joint action. At the same time, controversial U.S. operations have generated unease, making formal cooperation more important to Washington if it wants regional governments to accept a larger U.S. role.
The immediate test will be whether the task force converts the Aug. 12 approvals into combined operations involving Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala. The available account identifies the participating countries and the planned cooperation, but does not provide an operational schedule or details about command arrangements.