US Military Shifts Most MQ-9 Drones to South America for Counternarcotics Push
Updated
Updated · CNN · Sep 18
US Military Shifts Most MQ-9 Drones to South America for Counternarcotics Push
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 18
Summary
Most MQ-9 Reapers now assigned to Africa are expected to move to US Southern Command, according to six sources, ahead of expanded counternarcotics and counterterror operations that could include Ecuador.
The transfer fits a broader Trump administration buildup in the region, where officials have promoted joint operations with Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and others and already loaned Colombia 3 MQ-9A drones.
The Pentagon is also weighing sending some drones to the Middle East after losses in the war against Iran, underscoring how Africa is losing assets despite persistent threats from ISIS and al-Shabaab.
At sea, the Defense Department has spent months striking alleged traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 230 people, though officials and experts say the campaign's effect on drug flows remains unclear.