American troops have been sent to train in the jungle of Panama as part of a military program which is expected to be ramped up in the coming year.
The training program started earlier this year at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, formerly known as Fort Sherman.
While it is not said to be linked to any potential mission, it comes amid a growing U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, ABC News reported.
Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for comment.
Why It Matters
At the start of his second term, Donald Trump expressed interest in regaining control of the Panama Canal as part of a push to re-exert influence in the western hemisphere, which has seen a beefed-up military presence in the Caribbean.
The military training in Panama for jungle warfare for the first time in two decades is another sign of this signaling for a renewed U.S. military presence in Latin America.
What To Know
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a press release on November 4 that small groups of American ground soldiers and marines had been sent to Panama for jungle warfare training at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón.
The U.S. military released images of the Combined Jungle Operations Training Course (CJTC) which showed troops conducting weapons drills and survival exercises, including water purification, shelter building, and moving through vegetation.
It comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuela as the U.S. has beefed up its military presence in the Caribbean as part of a campaign against drug trafficking.
Around 20 attacks on boats allegedly aiding a drug trade linked to Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro (he denies such a claim) have killed over 70 “narco-terrorists,” according to Washington, stoking concerns in Caracas that the Trump administration is looking at regime change.
However, an unnamed U.S. defense official told ABC News that the program had started earlier this year but was not intended to prepare troops for any specific mission.
Alex Plitsas, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at The Atlantic Council, told ABC the training course appeared to be more about building Panama’s capacity to handle security threats in the region.
There have since been 46 graduates of the jungle course consisting of 18 Marines, one Army soldier and 27 personnel from Panama’s National Aeronaval Service, National Border Service and National Police.
What People Are Saying
Capt. Lauryn Westman, the officer in charge of the course in a statement released November 4: “This course stands out because it is a truly multinational, cooperative effort involving the United States and all three Panamanian security institutions.”
Steve Ganyard, a retired Marine Corps colonel to ABC News: “No doubt a message is being sent to Maduro by conducting combat training in his neighborhood.”
What Happens Next
The army plans to increase the scope of the course, eventually sending in platoons of 40 soldiers at a time to train, ABC News reported.
Meanwhile, tensions are likely to remain high over the U.S. military buildup in the region, which includes, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
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