The United States military has activated a new command structure dedicated to combating drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere, formally launching it at midnight Monday.
US Southern Command chief Gen. Francis L. Donovan announced the activation of Joint Task Force–Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) alongside Maj. Gen. Kevin Jarrard and Sgt. Maj. Kenne Hanson.
In a video posted by the Southern Command on X, Donovan said the force would apply “total systemic friction” to networks threatening the US homeland and its regional partners, working alongside the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition.
He added the group includes 18 nations backing the same mission, and described JTF-WHEM as the “action arm” of Southern Command.
Announcement from Gen. Francis L. Donovan on Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere activation, alongside Maj. Gen. Kevin Jarrard and Sgt. Maj. Kenne Hanson:
“We will apply total systemic friction on these networks that threaten our homeland and our partners here in our shared… pic.twitter.com/jo0da1N75S
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) August 3, 2026
The new task force replaces Joint Task Force Southern Spear, which had operated under the II Marine Expeditionary Force since it was stood up in October 2025.
According to SOUTHCOM’s official account, the transition from Southern Spear to JTF-WHEM took place at midnight Monday, with the command stating the new task force would build on that legacy to secure the region and counter threats.
Donovan framed the new unit’s mission in blunt terms, saying it would locate, close in on, and destroy threats to the US and its regional partners, and declaring that Washington is “changing the game” in its approach to cartels.
JTF-WHEM will coordinate with the Americas Coalition Against Cartels, the 18-nation partnership President Trump formally launched in March at the Shield of the Americas summit. Member countries reportedly include Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama and Peru, among others.
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The move aligns with Trump administration’s anti-narcotics campaign under a permanent command structure with expanded geographic reach, part of what the administration has described as a “maximum pressure” policy against transnational criminal networks in the hemisphere.
Southern Spear’s record offers a preview of what the new task force may pursue. Since its October 2025 launch, the unit carried out dozens of maritime interdiction operations and strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
A report from June cited by Al Jazeera found that US forces had struck more than 60 vessels and killed over 210 people since the operation began in September 2025; a campaign that has drawn scrutiny over its legal basis and civilian casualties.
