By Courtney Kube, Carol E. Lee and Julia Ainsley — NBC News
Senior officials in the administration of Democrat Joe Biden are pushing for the Pentagon to send troops to the jungle of the Darien Gap, between Colombia and Panama, to help local authorities curb drug smuggling, human trafficking and immigration, White House and Defense Department sources told NBC News.
This strip of land connects South America with Central America but is a roadless zone strewn with jungles, tropical forests, rivers and rugged mountains, which makes it a very dangerous but crucial stage of the journey to the United States.
Thousands of migrants attempt to cross from Panama into Colombia each year, often turning to coyotes to cross the harsh terrain.
Haitian migrants walk along a river as they cross the Darien Gap, Oct. 15, 2022.Fernando Vergara/AP file
The Pentagon has a Security Forces Assistance Brigade working in both countries, primarily advising local forces, but now administration officials are pushing to expand the training mission, including moving troops to Darien to advise Colombian and Panamanian forces on how to cut off the flow of people and drugs.
Training will focus primarily on border security, combating human trafficking, planning and logistics, counternarcotics and organized crime operations, and possibly countering coyotes. The U.S. military could also contribute to the construction of an operations center for the National Border Service.
The sources consulted say that Liz Sherwood-Randall, National Security Adviser, is one of the officers pushing for troops to focus directly on the Darien Gap.
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The commander of the Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, visited the Darien on Monday to learn firsthand about the situation, according to a military spokesman. A senior Colombian National Police official said Richardson met with officials in Colombia but did not give a number or timeline for sending U.S. troops to the Darien region.
The official said Colombia's National Police is anticipating the arrival of more U.S. troops in the region.
The troops could work with the Colombian National Police and other U.S. agencies in the region, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Migrants line up to catch a boat after crossing the Darien Gap, in Bajo Chiquito, Panama, on May 7, 2023.Natacha Pisarenko/AP file
The goal is to find ways for Colombia and Panama to curb migration, according to U.S. officials, with the participation of Customs and Border Protection agents.
Officials said the most likely option for now would be to move a small number of U.S. troops already in the countries — as few as 10 — to the Darien Gap to advise local forces. But some Biden administration officials hope to further bolster the presence.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Richardson traveled to Panama in April, when they signed a trilateral agreement with Panama and Colombia for a 60-day campaign aimed at addressing the humanitarian situation in the Darien.
Among its objectives was "to end the illicit movement of people and goods through the Darién through both land and maritime corridors." An administration official said the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security "are increasing support to both the Government of Panama and the Government of Colombia within their existing authorities as part of the 60-Day Darien Campaign, including with personnel."
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"Our support focuses on law enforcement training, planning, coordination and information sharing. It is important to underscore that no U.S. personnel are directly involved in the execution of anti-smuggling missions," the official added.
He said they are not considering sending Defense Department personnel to assist in law enforcement activities." We are supporting behind the scenes," he concluded.