News

A sailor kneels next to a person lying on the ground as four others stand and watch.

May 16, 2025

Airmen Test Combat Readiness During Caribbean Exercise

Special operations airmen tested resiliency, adaptiveness and ability to integrate logistics with other nations during Exercise Tradewinds 25 in Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, Martinique and Puerto Rico.

May 15, 2025

US, Dominican Republic Militaries Partner to Develop Enlisted Leaders

A group of enlisted leaders from the United States Army kicked off a subject matter expert exchange with fellow enlisted leaders from the Dominican Republic’s military just outside of the Caribbean nation’s capital in Santo Domingo – further progressing the professional development of noncommissioned officers in the Dominican armed services.

U.S. and Honduran infantrymen ruck at Mariscal Zavala, Guatemala, May 12, 2025. As part of CENTAM Guardian 25, infantrymen from Honduras, U.S., El Salvador and Guatemala, rucked to their exercise site where they will execute specific survival tactics in the Guatemalan jungles.

May 14, 2025

Arkansas Guard Participates in CENTAM Guardian 2025 in Guatemala

More than 60 Arkansas National Guardsmen are participating in CENTAM Guardian 2025 in Guatemala. CENTAM Guardian 2025 is an annual multi-national exercise designed to strengthen interoperability, information sharing and counter-threat capabilities between the United States and participating Central American and Caribbean partner nations.

May 14, 2025

Continuing Promise 2025 Set to Begin

MAYPORT, Florida — The U.S. Navy Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will deploy this June-August to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet's Continuing Promise 2025 mission. After several months of detailed planning, USNS Comfort is scheduled to visit Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic during the nearly three month-long mission.

A group of men in reflective safety vests speak to each other.

May 14, 2025

U.S. Engineering Team Assesses Colón, Panama’s Infrastructure Challenges, Strengthening Bilateral Partnership

A team from the U.S. Army’s 553rd Forward Engineer Support Team-Advance (FEST-A) drove around important parts of the city of Colón, Panama, surveying the stormwater and wastewater systems on May 13, 2025. The survey was designed to find ways to bolster the ongoing partnership between the United States and Panama while addressing one of Panama’s largest city’s long-standing infrastructure issues.

A formation of people in military uniforms stand with man in a dark blue suit in the center.

May 13, 2025

U.S. Southern Command, Guatemala's Ministry of Defense commence CENTAM Guardian 2025

Armed forces members from five partner nations assembled May 12 at Mariscal Zavala military base for the start of CENTAM GUARDIAN 2025, the fourth iteration of the annual multinational exercise.

The littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) interdicted a suspected drug smuggling vessel May 1 while supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South. This is the ship's third successful interdiction during its maiden deployment. In mid-April, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul interdicted two vessels, confiscating 580 kilograms (1,279 pounds) of cocaine valued at $9,463,860 and 1,125 kilograms (2,480 pounds) of marijuana valued at $2,807,360. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul is assigned to Commander, Task Force 45, the 4th Fleet surface task force responsible for combined naval operations, building partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean, and supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South's counter-drug trafficking operations. LEDETs are deployable specialized Coast Guard forces that enforce U.S. laws and treaties at sea. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command by employing maritime forces in cooperative security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build partnerships to promote regional security and stability in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

May 13, 2025

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul Scores Another Bust

CARIBBEAN SEA — The littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) interdicted a suspected drug smuggling vessel May 1 while supporting Joint Interagency Task Force South. This is the ship's third successful interdiction during its maiden deployment. In mid-April, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul interdicted two vessels, confiscating 580 kilograms (1,279 pounds) of cocaine valued at $9,463,860 and 1,125 kilograms (2,480 pounds) of marijuana valued at $2,807,360.

One of the 137th Special Operations Wing mission sustainment team’s forward operating site sits near a flightline during TRADEWINDS 25 (TW25), Trinidad and Tobago, April 25, 2025.

May 12, 2025

Oklahoma Air Guard Airmen Maneuver Through TRADEWINDS25

Multi-capable Airmen assigned to the 137th Special Operations Wing mission sustainment team of the Oklahoma Air National Guard strengthened critical self-sustaining skills and assessed their ability to operate in multiple expeditionary environments across the Caribbean during TRADEWINDS25, April 21-May 5.

A man in a while military uniform walks and reviews a formation of service members in brown uniforms.

May 12, 2025

Adm. Holsey Visits Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica

U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), visited Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica May 7 – 9, 2025 to meet with government and defense officials for discussions on security cooperation.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brian Weiblinger, left, team chief, Defense of Cyber Operations Element Team, Florida Army National Guard, and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Thane Murphy, center, intelligence analyst, and Sgt. Victor Navarro, right, cyber warfare operator, Defensive Cyberspace Operations Internal Defensive Measures, conduct defensive cyber operations during exercise Southern Defender 25 in Augusta, Georgia, May 6, 2025. This exercise pushes teams to identify vulnerabilities, respond to adversary injects, and coordinate actions across 28 teams in 15 locations consisting of 20 participating countries in real time. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Samuel Qin)

May 12, 2025

Cyber Exercise Southern Defender 2025 Bolsters Partner Nation Defense Capabilities

U.S. and Partner nation forces concluded participation in Southern Defender (SD) 2025 May 9. SD25 is a defensive cyber operations exercise designed to enhance cybersecurity capabilities across the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility. Approximately 320 participants from 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries engaged in intensive training and practical exercises across 15 locations focused on mitigating cyber threats.