US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned that the International Criminal Court could investigate US military actions in Latin America, including strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The ICC has not announced an investigation into the operations.
Hegseth made the remarks during a speech in Panama while pledging to strengthen the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, a US-backed military partnership targeting drug cartels. He said Colombia would become the coalition’s 19th member under newly elected President Abelardo de la Espriella.
What Hegseth said about the ICC
Hegseth called on coalition members to reject the ICC, saying the tribunal had no legitimate basis to assert jurisdiction over US and partner military personnel or operations. He said the campaign was lawful under the laws of armed conflict.
Rights groups and experts have disputed that position. A July report by the Washington Office on Latin America documented at least 221 deaths in US strikes since September 2025 and described them as killings under domestic law and extrajudicial killings under international human rights law. Monitors have warned that civilians, including fishermen, passengers and people subjected to human smuggling, may have been among those killed.
Related coverage: Venezuela to Leave International Criminal Court Over Alleged Geographical Bias.
The coalition and its expanding operations
The coalition was launched in March and is also known as the Shield of the Americas or “A triple C”. Hegseth said the United States had recorded at least a 65 percent reduction in narco-vessel movements in the Western Caribbean, a 60 percent reduction in the Eastern Caribbean and an almost 50 percent reduction in the Eastern Pacific.
He also said Honduras and Guatemala had invited the United States to take part in combined operations against alleged narco-terrorists. Colombia, he said, had requested US participation in joint military operations against drug networks. The claims about reduced vessel movements and proposed operations were presented by Hegseth during the Panama speech.
What happens next
The Pentagon chief’s remarks indicate that Washington intends to expand joint military activity in the region, but they do not establish that the ICC has opened a case. The source report said no ICC investigation into US military actions in Latin America had been announced.
More context: Reasons Behind Venezuela’s Decision to Exit the International Criminal Court.
The United States and Ecuador conducted a joint operation in March that was described as targeting drug traffickers. Amnesty International has said civilians in Ecuador faced attacks and abuses under that campaign. The US State Department has also said it would seek a $1bn security package for Colombia to support shared security goals.
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