Peru has agreed to join the U.S.-led “Shield of the Americas” coalition, strengthening cooperation with Washington and other regional governments in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.
The development came during U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Lima, the final stop of his three-country South American tour. Rubio has made counter-narcotics cooperation a central focus of the Trump administration’s renewed engagement with Latin America.
Peru expands security cooperation with Washington
Peru’s entry into the coalition is expected to deepen intelligence sharing, law-enforcement coordination and security cooperation aimed at disrupting drug-trafficking networks operating across the region.
Peru is one of the world’s major coca-producing countries, making the country an important partner in Washington’s efforts to target cocaine production and trafficking routes. The coalition already includes countries such as Colombia and Ecuador, which have also been strengthening security cooperation with the United States.
Rubio’s visit followed his meetings in Colombia and Ecuador, where the United States announced additional security assistance and measures targeting criminal organizations. In Ecuador, Washington pledged to seek $45 million in security funding, including equipment intended to strengthen the country’s counter-narcotics capabilities.
Trump administration steps up regional anti-cartel strategy
Peru’s decision comes as President Donald Trump’s administration increases its focus on combating drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The intensified approach includes greater intelligence cooperation, military and law-enforcement assistance and maritime operations against suspected drug-trafficking networks. The United States recently carried out a strike against a vessel suspected of operating on a narcotics-trafficking route in the Caribbean, killing three people, according to U.S. officials.
The expansion of the coalition is also part of Washington’s broader effort to strengthen strategic partnerships with governments across Latin America while countering the influence of outside powers in the region.
For Peru, the agreement could provide additional resources and international support as President Keiko Fujimori’s government confronts rising concerns over organized crime and public security. Rubio’s visit was accompanied by protests in Lima from groups critical of increasing U.S. involvement in regional security affairs.
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