Over the past year-and-a-half the US military has increased its presence across Latin America and the Caribbean. While the US possesses the most powerful military in the world, Latin American and Caribbean armed forces have a skill that US troops will find useful to (re)learn: jungle warfare.

Although the US military used to have vast experience in this particular type of warfare due to operations in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War and the war it fought in Vietnam, in the past couple of decades this knowledge was somewhat lost as US troops were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Jungle warfare training continues in some locations, like the US Marines’ Jungle Warfare Training Center on Okinawa, Japan, and with US special forces operating in Africa.

However, the expansion of US military facilities across Latin America and the Caribbean allows for more troops to train in jungle warfare. A 2025 agreement with Panama allowed for old bases to be reopened, while bases have also reopened in Puerto Rico.

Southern Command front and centre

A critical actor in this evolving training situation is US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM): the US military combat command that oversees most of Latin America and the Caribbean. A SOUTHCOM spokesperson told Warsight that the command’s area of responsibility “includes diverse environments, such as dense jungles, which present unique operational challenges”, adding that “close collaboration” with partners allows US troops to “enhance their ability to operate effectively in jungle terrain”.

In a recent op-ed by Colonel Keith Benedict, commander of the Army Security Cooperation Group-South (ASCG-S, which comes under SOUTHCOM), and Captain Christian Hert, assistant S3 [a staff position tied to operations and training] for ASCG-S, the two officers argued that “US Army soldiers are yet again finding opportunity to test their mettle in one of the world’s harshest environments”, adding that “they get to do so alongside Panamanian security force partners. And they are learning from foremost experts on surviving in that environment”. The training has included long treks in harsh jungle environments at Aeronaval Base Cristóbal Colón.

Training in challenging jungle conditions is also ongoing in other countries. SOUTHCOM told Warsight, “We have integrated jungle training into TRADEWINDS [a multinational exercise in the Caribbean] where appropriate, including sessions conducted in Guyana and Belize.” Moreover, “US troops have also attended and graduated from Brazil’s internationally recognised jungle operations course.”

President Daniel Noboa in Ecuador has been particularly eager to have his troops train with US troops and also to engage in joint operations. In mid-July 2026 Ecuadorian troops graduated from an eight-week Partner Nation International Operators Course, led by US trainers.

Future multinational exercises may also include a jungle warfare component. For example, Peru will host the famous multinational exercise UNITAS this year; in 2021, when the Andean nation also hosted the event, the exercises included a jungle component in Iquitos.

Asked if the US is likely to sponsor a multinational exercise specifically focused on jungle warfare with South American partners, a SOUTHCOM spokesperson pointed to UNITAS and the SOUTHCOM-sponsored PANAMAX series of exercises, noting that, while these “are designed as multi-domain operations and are not planned to focus exclusively on jungle warfare … in planning these exercises careful consideration is given to including a jungle phase in future iterations”.

Counter-narcotics operations

The US government is currently heavily invested in cracking down on drug trafficking by focusing on military operations. In 2025 Operation ‘Southern Spear’ commenced to combat maritime drug trafficking across the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean; these operations have included lethal air strikes against vessels suspected of transporting drugs. To organise regional support, Washington created a new initiative called the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (also known as the Shield of the Americas).

Ground operations against suspected criminal entities are already occurring under this construct. In March 2026 US and Ecuadorian troops launched a joint strike against “Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the South American country. A couple of months later, in June, Washington announced an operation in Venezuela that resulted in the elimination of Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero: the leader of the Tren de Aragua Cartel.

Details of the operation are scarce. SOUTHCOM commander General Francis Donovan stated, “We extend our gratitude to the Venezuelan security forces for their support to the successful joint operation against Tren de Aragua,” suggesting that the operation was carried out by both US and Venezuelan troops.

Future US ground operations against drug-trafficking entities will no doubt benefit from greater expertise in jungle warfare.