Trump Has Already Spent at Least $4.7 Billion Attacking Latin America
The Intercept • • world
Key Points:
- A Brown University analysis estimates that U.S. military operations in Venezuela and the Caribbean, including Operations Absolute Resolve and Southern Spear, have cost taxpayers at least $4.7 billion between August 2025 and March 2026, with actual costs likely higher due to limited transparency.
- The largest expense is naval deployment, particularly the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, costing around $3.8 billion, followed by at least $616 million for aircraft operations; munitions used in attacks on drug boats have cost between $12.5 million and $50 million.
- Since September 2025, Operation Southern Spear has involved 53 attacks on drug boats, resulting in over 180 civilian deaths, actions criticized by experts and lawmakers as illegal extrajudicial killings violating laws of war.
- The U.S. military's expanding presence in the Western Hemisphere, framed as the "Trump Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine, includes operations in Ecuador and Colombia, with ongoing deployments expected to continue accruing costs through at least 2028.
- Analysts warn that the long-term financial burden of these conflicts will grow significantly due to debt interest and veterans' benefits, while critics highlight the contrast between high military spending and domestic social needs.
