More than 300 US soldiers will arrive in Colombia this week to take part in joint anti-drug-trafficking training exercises with Colombian forces, officials said on Monday.
The troops will begin arriving Tuesday and conduct exercises between October 30 and November 11, Colombia’s defense ministry and the US military said in separate statements.
Colombia is the world’s top cocaine producer and a global hub for drug production and trafficking.
Its new right-wing, US-backed President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office in August, has gone to war against the myriad of drug-trafficking groups roaming the coastal Latin American nation.
In September, he sent troops to the touristy Caribbean city of Santa Marta after it was wracked by a wave of drug-gang violence.
The joint military exercises will involve 350 US troops alongside 400 Colombian soldiers, the US military said in a statement.
“The training is designed to counter regional threats, build partner capacity, and increase readiness,” it said.
“Training scenarios will focus heavily on maritime interdiction, ground security operations, cyber defense, and interagency cooperation,” as well as air medical evacuations, it said.
Colombia’s defense ministry said in a statement that the drills will include neutralizing the deadly explosive-laden drones that are increasingly being used by Colombia’s powerful armed groups.
The exercises will take place mostly at the Tolemaida military base, just over 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Bogota, it said.
Colombia is part of US President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas anti-cartel alliance, made up of around 20 countries in the region.
US troops have carried out joint operations in other Latin American countries battling drug-related trafficking and violence, including Mexico and Ecuador.
