US military creates new command to target cartels in the Americas

Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald on Aug 4, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The U.S. Southern Command has activated a new military headquarters to coordinate operations against drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations across the Western Hemisphere, marking a significant reorganization of the military’s regional security mission.

The new Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere, activated Monday, replaces Joint Task Force Southern Spear, a temporary command established in 2025, with a permanent headquarters responsible for coordinating military operations with partner nations across Latin America and the Caribbean.

SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan described the new organization as the military’s “action arm” for the hemisphere, saying it would intensify pressure on criminal organizations that threaten the United States and its regional allies.

“We will locate, close with, and destroy these threats,” Donovan said in a video announcing the activation. “We will apply total systemic friction to these organizations... We are now changing the game.”

The activation is the latest step in the Trump administration’s effort to expand the military’s role in combating transnational criminal organizations alongside regional partners.

Unlike its predecessor, the new task force is designed as a permanent operational headquarters, bringing intelligence, surveillance, operational planning and multinational military coordination under a single command.

The headquarters will operate alongside the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, an alliance of 18 countries established earlier this year to strengthen intelligence sharing and coordinate regional operations against organized crime.

According to SOUTHCOM, which is based in Doral, Florida, the command will integrate intelligence and surveillance capabilities, support maritime interdiction operations, oversee multinational planning and expand joint military training with partner nations. It will also coordinate humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations when needed.

Donovan selected Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin Jarrard to lead the new headquarters. Jarrard most recently commanded U.S. military support for State Department-led disaster relief operations following the devastating June earthquakes in Venezuela.

Although SOUTHCOM did not identify specific criminal organizations, officials said the headquarters will maintain sustained pressure on drug-trafficking networks and other groups that undermine regional security.

The activation also formalizes a broader restructuring within SOUTHCOM. Joint Task Force Southern Spear, created in October 2025 under the II Marine Expeditionary Force, has now been replaced by a standing headquarters intended to provide continuous command and control for regional military operations.

Military officials said the new structure is designed to improve coordination with allied governments, accelerate decision-making and increase the tempo of multinational operations against criminal organizations operating across national borders.

SOUTHCOM said the creation of the new task force reinforces its broader strategy of combining military capabilities with multinational partnerships to strengthen regional security while enhancing the command’s ability to respond rapidly to crises throughout the Western Hemisphere.

_____