The U.S. military has created a new task force to coordinate action against organized criminal threats with Latin American partner states, while Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala have approved U.S. participation in combined operations. The developments give U.S. Southern Command a new structure for regional security cooperation as Washington expands its role in combating transnational crime. Defense One reported that the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere was established on Aug. 4 and that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the three countries’ approval on Aug. 12.
The task force, known as JTF-WHEM, is intended to facilitate and coordinate action by U.S. forces and regional partner states. Its creation follows the launch in March of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, a U.S.-led body designed to coordinate regional responses to transnational organized crime. Together, the two entities provide political and military channels for planning and coordinating responses with governments that agree to cooperate.
The announcement identifying Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala as approving U.S. participation in combined operations does not specify the operations’ targets, locations, timing or the U.S. forces that would be involved. It describes the planned activity as action against criminal entities rather than naming particular organizations. The task force and the three countries’ approvals are separate developments, and the available announcement does not link them to a specific operation.
The new task force is part of a broader shift toward direct U.S. involvement in Latin American security operations. Operation Southern Spear began last year with U.S. Navy strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels, according to Defense One. The operation later expanded to include the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and renewed economic and military pressure on Cuba, developments presented in the article as evidence of a more hands-on regional policy.
At the same time, SOUTHCOM has pursued arrangements that place U.S. forces alongside local security services. In March, U.S. forces were dispatched to support Ecuadorian security forces in an operation against an alleged criminal hub inside Ecuador. The coalition and task force therefore represent more than new labels: they create mechanisms through which Washington can coordinate planning, seek agreement among participating governments and shape regional responses to organized crime.
That effort comes with political constraints. Latin American governments have adopted tougher policies toward organized crime, and the article says several were broadly sympathetic to Maduro’s removal. But U.S. boat strikes linked to Operation Southern Spear and the Maduro operation have also caused unease in a region shaped by a long history of U.S. intervention. The task force and coalition will operate amid that regional sensitivity as SOUTHCOM seeks cooperation from governments across Latin America.
The coalition and task force can serve as forums for building strategic consensus, resolving disputes among members and influencing governments that do not participate, Defense One said. U.S. officials have sought regional buy-in, or at least acquiescence, for a larger American security role. The article also reported that officials are increasingly linking security and economic assistance to cooperation in areas Washington considers important.
The JTF-WHEM appears likely to be put to imminent use, although the available announcement does not provide details about the activity. Hegseth’s separate announcement says Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala approved U.S. participation in combined operations against criminal entities. The scope and timing of both developments remain unclear. The task force’s creation gives SOUTHCOM a standing structure for coordinating U.S. and regional military action against organized criminal threats, rather than relying only on individual deployments or ad hoc cooperation.