U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Commander of U.S. Southern Command, completed his first official visit to Colombia, meeting with Colombian Minister of Defense Jorge Eduardo Mora and the General Commander of the Colombian Military Forces, Gen. Erik Rodriguez Aparicio.
On August 27, Gen. Donovan traveled with Minister Mora, Gen. Rodriguez, and senior Colombian defense officials to the border region between southwest Colombia and northwest Ecuador—a critical corridor exploited for cocaine trafficking by violent transnational criminal organizations. The itinerary included a visit to San Lorenzo, Ecuador, for a trilateral Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) meeting with Ecuadorian Minister of Defense Gian Carlo Loffredo and Ecuador's Chief of Defense, Gen. Henry Delgado Salvador.
During engagements along the border, the leaders met with elite forces from both nations to refine a joint operational strategy aimed at dismantling cartel networks and leadership.
On August 28, 2026, Gen. Donovan also visited Colombia’s National Training Center at Fuerte Militar Tolemaida, where he met with senior military leaders to advance shared security objectives.
SOUTHCOM remains committed to strengthening its military relationship with a vital, long-standing security partner. Together, the U.S. and Colombia will continue to apply systemic pressure to defeat narcoterrorist groups, curb illicit migration, and counter malign influence across the Western Hemisphere.
As coalition partners in A3C, U.S. and Colombian military forces share an enduring commitment to regional security and stability. SOUTHCOM and Colombian security forces will continue working shoulder-to-shoulder to disrupt and defeat transnational criminal cartels that traffic illicit narcotics and threaten the sovereignty of partner nations across the Americas.
The activation of Joint Task Force–Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) reinforces SOUTHCOM’s support for A3C objectives through a comprehensive, whole-of-government, and multinational framework. Operating alongside trusted allies and regional partners, SOUTHCOM continues to advance a secure, stable, and prosperous Western Hemisphere.