U.S. Southern Command General Visits Guatemala

Marine General Francis Donovan, who leads U.S. Southern Command, recently visited Guatemala. His purpose? To work with local officials on enhancing regional defense and increasing operations against drug cartels and narco-terrorist groups.

This trip was highlighted shortly after SOUTHCOM targeted a suspected drug-trafficking vessel, part of ongoing efforts to address foreign drug trafficking that impacts the U.S.

“SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan is in Guatemala to meet with senior government leaders to discuss strengthening the bilateral security partnership and collaborative efforts to combat cartels and narco-terrorists,” according to a post from the command.

The announcement also underscored Guatemala’s involvement in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition.

“Guatemala is a member of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, whose vital contributions have dealt a significant blow to narco-terrorist networks in the region,” SOUTHCOM added.

President Donald Trump, in a proclamation earlier this year, stated that foreign cartel networks and related gangs have been classified as foreign terrorist organizations in the U.S. This classification indicates that the administration intends to allocate substantial resources to dismantle these groups.

“These international entities control territories and commerce, extort political and judicial systems, wield arms and field military capabilities, and use assassinations and terrorism to achieve their ends,” Trump explained.

In alignment with efforts against these criminal organizations, the Secretary of War set up the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition. This coalition embodies a commitment by military leaders from 17 nations to effectively confront these security threats.

During the Americas Counter Cartel Conference in March, representatives from various countries, including the U.S. and Guatemala, signed a joint security declaration. This declaration aimed to:

• “Expand multilateral and bilateral cooperation to enhance security in the Western Hemisphere.”
• Work together on issues regarding “border security; countering narco-terrorism and trafficking; securing critical infrastructure and other areas as mutually determined.”
• “Advance ‘Peace through Strength’ to address future threats to our mutual interests.”
• “Join a coalition to combat narco-terrorism and other shared threats to the Western Hemisphere.”