WASHINGTON: A US drone shift will move MQ-9 Reaper aircraft from Africa to South America ahead of anticipated counter-drug and counterterrorism operations, CNN reported Friday.
CNN reported that sources said the drones would transfer from U.S. Africa Command to U.S. Southern Command. The number involved has not been publicly confirmed.
The Reapers can conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and can also carry precision weapons. CNN reported that possible future operations could include activity in Ecuador, although no specific mission was announced.
The move has raised concerns inside the military about reducing surveillance capacity in Africa. U.S. forces there continue operations against groups including Islamic State affiliates and al-Shabaab, according to CNN’s reporting.
The shift comes as Washington expands security cooperation against cartels and trafficking networks in the Western Hemisphere.
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The White House has described dismantling designated cartels and transnational gangs as a priority, while U.S. agencies have supported operations against groups including Los Lobos and Los Choneros in Ecuador.
U.S. forces have also conducted a year-long series of strikes against vessels they allege were involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
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At least 230 people had been killed in that campaign by September 9, according to military announcements and independent tracking. The strikes have faced continuing legal scrutiny.
The US drone shift therefore marks a further concentration of military resources under Southern Command, although the Pentagon has not publicly detailed the scale or duration of the transfer.
