Guatemala Seeks US Military Support Against Drug Trafficking, Excluding Operations on Its Soil
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 28
Guatemala Seeks US Military Support Against Drug Trafficking, Excluding Operations on Its Soil
11 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 28
President Bernardo Arévalo said Guatemala has asked the United States for military equipment, training and experts to support anti-drug operations under existing bilateral agreements.
The government said the plan does not authorize US military operations on Guatemalan territory, after Arévalo and Defense Minister Henry Sáenz confirmed the terms with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The request would deepen a strategy launched in 2024 and comes as Washington expands regional security pressure on trafficking routes that US officials say carry 90% of cocaine reaching the United States.
The talks fit a broader Trump administration push for a stronger US military role in Latin America, though Mexico has rejected foreign forces on its soil and recent US maritime strikes have drawn legal scrutiny.
Can a US military strategy abroad solve a cartel problem fueled by American guns and domestic drug demand?
With a history of failed anti-drug campaigns, what makes this new militarized approach in Latin America different?
As the US military footprint expands, is Latin American sovereignty the first casualty in the new war on cartels?