By Tom Clifford
The US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States hopes to deploy more resources, especially troops and aircraft, to tackle drug trafficking in the region. He also added that he hopes more countries in the Caribbean will accept US troops on their soil.
Speaking on Wednesday in the Dominican Republic, which has authorized the temporary deployment of US personnel, Hegseth said he was hoping other countries would agree to a US military presence.
“A model that we hope to expand with other countries that want to associate with us to ensure that the drug terrorists … receive this message that we are associating with more countries, with more elements to stop them,” Hegseth said.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader announced that he has authorized the US government to operate inside restricted areas in the Caribbean country to help in its fight against drug cartels and trafficking.
The US can refuel aircraft and transport equipment and technical personnel at restricted areas, for a specified time, within the San Isidro Air Base and Las Américas International Airport, said Abinader, who made the announcement with Hegseth by his side.
Hegseth said the Dominican Republic was a regional leader willing to take on hard challenges.
“That’s why I’m here today. That’s why we decided to come here first,” he said. “The Dominican Republic has stepped up.”
Hegseth said the US would respect the Caribbean country’s sovereignty and laws as US service members and aircraft prepare to deploy to the Dominican Republic. He did not provide additional details.
Meanwhile, Abinader said the scope of the agreement is “technical, limited, and temporary’’.
Hegseth was in Santo Domingo to meet with the country’s top leaders, including Abinader and Minister of Defense Lt. Gen. Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre.
Tourism is a vital ingredient in the economy of many Caribbean islands and there are fears that growing tension in the region may scare off potential visitors. The sector accounts for more than 75 percent of regional employment.
The US has been bolstering its forces into the Caribbean for months as it ramps up pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, ostensibly as part of a wider anti-drug campaign. Since September it has destroyed more than 20 alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific.
The Trump administration’s formal designation of Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization came into force last week. In a statement, Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil called it a “ridiculous falsehood” aimed at justifying an illegal intervention.
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Previous articles by Tom Clifford:
Airlines warned about flying in Venezuelan airspace
Old Bases, New Battles: Trump’s Mixed Signals on Venezuela and Nuclear Testing
Venezuela Scraps Gas Deal with Trinidad over U.S. Warship Visit
While Washington Threatens, Beijing Invests: China’s Growing Influence in the Caribbean
A New Caribbean Crisis: U.S. Warships, Venezuela, and the Monroe Doctrine
US sending aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean
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