The government in Guatemala, the first central American country coming from Mexico in the north, has reportedly agreed to joint strikes with the United States against drug gangs, according to The New York Times (and via Reuters). During a call with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, Guatemalan president Bernardo Arévalo agreed to military interventions such as airstrikes within the borders of the country.
Still without an official announcement, the move would mark a major expansion of Trump's military campaign in Latin America, and it would be in effect soon, as the report says operations could begin as early as in June, with Washington pushing neighbour Honduras to accept a similar deal.
With the newly added pressure from the south, and the historical tension at the US-Mexico border in the north, the reported strategy is to normalise US military presence in Latin America to also gain leverage over Mexico, whose president Claudia Sheinbaum has said she supports exchange of intel but rejects US forces operating on their soil.