Joint US combatant command for Central and South America, the Caribbean (except US territories).
The United States has expanded sanctions and enforced an energy blockade that has cut fuel supplies to Cuba, targeted President Miguel Díaz‑Canel, members of the Castro family and military institutions, and has indicted former president Raúl Castro; the measures have deepened power outages, food and medicine shortages and drawn condemnation from the UN human rights commissioner.
U.S. forces have carried out an airstrike that has killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, the leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, U.S. and Venezuelan officials have said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have said the operation targeted a compound in Bolívar state earlier this week and involved coordination with Venezuelan security forces.
The June 24 earthquakes have left thousands displaced, with water and sanitation shortages, overwhelming healthcare facilities. The death toll has surpassed 1,900, and aid continues from the US and other nations as hospitals face equipment shortages and the threat of disease spread.
The Trump administration has extended counter-narcotics operations in Latin America, coordinating joint air, sea, and land actions with allies. Reports indicate Ecuador and other regional partners are joining ground operations, while critics warn of civilian harm and sovereignty concerns. The campaign has killed hundreds in boat strikes and faces legal and diplomatic scrutiny.
The U.S. Southern Command has confirmed more than 210 deaths after over 60 strikes against narco-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean. Officials say the operation is expanding onto land across several Latin American nations, with mixed responses from regional governments.