U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Commander of U.S. Southern Command, was in Honduras for a two-day scheduled visit where he met with Minister of National Defense, Enrique Rodríguez Burchard, and Chief of Defense, Gen. Héctor Benjamín Valerio Ardón. While in Honduras, Gen. Donovan presided over the Joint Task Force (JTF) – Bravo change of command ceremony where U.S. Army Col. David A. Webb assumed command from U.S. Army Col. Robert C. Snyder III.
The U.S. and Honduras have a longstanding security partnership. JTF-Bravo stands as a testament of the enduring cooperation between the U.S. and Honduras and the bilateral commitment to counter threats while building interoperability. JTF-Bravo is a subordinate unit to U.S. Southern Command responsible for support to joint operations, activities and investments for a Joint Operations Area encompassing all seven Central American countries.
Donovan met with Honduran military leadership to discuss the expanding bilateral defense partnership and mutual objectives to counter narco-terrorist illicit activity, as part of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, a hemispheric effort involving 18 partner nations committed to ensuring peace, protecting sovereignty, and strengthening security in the region.
SOUTHCOM continues working with committed partners like Honduras to detect, disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking networks in the region. This cooperation directly benefits U.S. national security while respecting Honduran sovereignty.