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Trump Expands US Military Operations in Second Term, Focusing on Latin America and Middle East
Trump's Second Term Sees Expanded Military Operations
President Donald Trump has expanded US military operations across multiple regions during his second term. This move is seen as a test of whether his 'America First' doctrine can accommodate a growing US military footprint overseas. Andrew Latham, a political science professor at Macalester College, explained that Trump views military force differently from the Bush-era foreign policy establishment. Latham stated that these campaigns align with Trump's view of politics where 'threats are personal, borders matter, weakness invites contempt, and force is useful when it produces a visible result.' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly affirmed that all of Trump's actions have prioritized America and enhanced homeland security.
Interventions in Latin America and the Middle East
The Trump administration has intensified drug interdiction efforts in Latin America. On June 3, at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), a lethal kinetic strike in the eastern Pacific killed two individuals described as 'male narco-terrorists.' Since September, an estimated 207 people have died in US strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. In January, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was captured by the US military in Caracas and is currently in pre-trial detention in New York.
The Middle East has also been a key focus of Trump's military operations. These include retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen in March 2025, the killing of a key ISIS leader in Iraq during the same period, and strikes on ISIS targets in Syria in December. Notably, in June 2025, Trump directed US forces to join Israel in bombing Iran during a 12-day conflict.
*Source: Axios (2026-06-04)*
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