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Top U.S. military leaders to host more than 30 countries in Washington as Trump administration moves to deepen security cooperation in Western Hemisphere border controldrug trafficking and regional threats from global adversaries.
“To put America first, we must put America first,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said, according to Joseph Hummel, acting assistant secretary of war for homeland defense and inter-American affairs.
NORAD aircraft will arrive in Greenland for routine exercises
“We must work together to prevent any adversary or criminal from exploiting your territory or exploiting your infrastructure to threaten what the great former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt once called ‘the everlasting peace of this hemisphere.'”
The meeting, convened by Gen. Dan Kaine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, took place against the backdrop of a broader national security strategy that places a heavy emphasis on threats closer to home: from fentanyl pipelines and transnational criminal networks to Arctic competition and instability in Venezuela.
The meeting also coincided with U.S. actions against the U.S. Mexican cartel drones Violated U.S. airspace near El Paso, Texas.
An administration official told Fox News, “Mexican cartel drones violated U.S. airspace. The War Department took action to neutralize these drones. The FAA and Dow have determined that this does not pose a threat to commercial travel.”
Gen. Dan Kaine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is chairing a meeting of the Western Hemisphere defense ministers in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The Federal Aviation Administration is temporarily restricting flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for “exceptional safety reasons.” Federal officials have not released details of the operation, but administration officials said it is directly related to anti-drone measures on the southern border.
The incident underscores the increasing use of unmanned systems by cartel networks and the growing overlap between traditional criminal activities and homeland defense issues – a theme expected to surface in discussions among defense leaders gathered in Washington.
Senior military leaders from Denmark, Britain and France, countries with territories in the Western Hemisphere, were also invited, the New York Times reported.
Gen. Francis Donovan, the new commander of Southern Command, which oversees operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, is expected to urge regional counterparts to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking organizations and transnational crime syndicates that operate across borders and increasingly exploit advanced technology. U.S. officials have warned that cartel networks are using drones, encrypted communications and complex smuggling routes to transport drugs and people.
Video shows a narco-terrorist vessel being subjected to a kinetic attack in international waters starting on Wednesday, December 31. The attack comes as the region faces wider military pressure following a high-profile security operation. (U.S. Southern Command via X)
Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, responsible for leading the defense of the continental and northern United States including GreenlandBorder controls and the integration of advanced sensors across air, land, sea and space domains are reportedly expected to be discussed.
Arctic security is also likely to be a focus of discussion. The U.S. government has pointed to increased Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic as a long-term strategic issue and emphasized the importance of Greenland’s location for missile warning, sea lanes and critical mineral resources.
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is facing federal drug trafficking charges in the United States after he was captured by U.S. forces in a high-stakes operation in January. The capture reshaped U.S. security discussions in the Western Hemisphere. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)
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The summit follows the dramatic U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in early January after months of raids on drug ships.
As the security landscape in the Western Hemisphere continues to change, defense officials and regional allies will be watching to see how other governments with hostile policies toward the United States respond to Washington’s increasingly assertive posture.
