Hegseth warns ICC may probe US boat strikes as Colombia joins anti‑drug coalition

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday that the United States will keep pushing its counter‑drug campaign, adding that Colombia has now joined the regional military coalition aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks. The statement was made during a briefing in Washington, where Austin highlighted the coalition’s expansion as a significant step toward curbing the influence of major cartels that operate across the Americas.

The coalition, originally formed in 2023 by the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, seeks to coordinate intelligence, training, and joint operations against drug traffickers. Colombia’s accession broadens the alliance’s reach into the heart of the drug trade, providing a strategic foothold in the Andean region. Austin emphasized that the partnership will enhance information sharing and joint exercises, reinforcing a unified front against narcotics smuggling and related violence.

Austin concluded that the United States remains committed to supporting the coalition’s objectives, underscoring that sustained collaboration is essential to disrupt cartel supply chains and reduce the flow of illicit drugs into the United States and beyond. The expanded partnership signals a continued U.S. focus on regional security cooperation to address the drug trade.