Pentagon sends hundreds of Army troops to Latin America for training as drug-trafficking campaign expands

The U.S. military is deploying several hundred Army soldiers to Latin America for training and joint exercises with regional forces as the Trump administration expands its campaign against drug-trafficking networks, Fox News confirmed.

The deployment involves soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York, with the first troops from a roughly 600-soldier battalion expected to deploy to Panama, according to The New York Times , which first reported the deployment.

A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the troops are being forward-staged under U.S.

Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which will determine where they are ultimately deployed.

According to The Times, the troops will first deploy to a new jungle training facility in Panama before eventually training with local forces in Colombia and Honduras.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP’S NEW SECURITY ALLIANCE FACES FIRST REAL-WORLD TEST DEEP IN SOUTH AMERICA AS TROOPS DEPLOY The troops could also support U.S. special operations personnel who are advising local militaries conducting raids against suspected drug traffickers , the outlet reported.

Separately, several hundred soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are expected to help staff a new Western Hemisphere military command based in Miami.

The deployment comes as the Pentagon continues military operations targeting suspected drug traffickers across Latin America and the Caribbean.

US MILITARY STRIKES ALLEGED NARCO-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN, KILLING 4 'NARCO-TERRORISTS' Since the campaign began more than a year ago, U.S. forces have conducted dozens of strikes, with more than 235 people killed.

Gen.

Francis Donovan, commander of SOUTHCOM, previously said the military was considering operations against trafficking networks on land .

"Do I see land strikes as options? Yes.

We want all options at the table," Donovan said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal .

"Those actions might be strikes, arrests, or the takedown of a safe house," he continued.