United States forces will assist their Colombian and Panamanian counterparts with intelligence gathering to dismantle smuggling rings operating in the dense jungle of the Darien Gap, a key route for migrants heading to the U.S. from South America, a senior Biden administration official said Wednesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public, said migration through the Darien would not end, but the campaign is expected to have significant impact.
The Darien Gap, linking Colombia and Panama, is among the most dangerous portions of the long route to the U.S. borders. Migrants and international human rights groups have denounced sexual assaults, robberies and killings in the remote jungle. That’s in addition to the natural dangers posed by venomous snakes and rushing rivers.
U.S. forces could assist in targeting smugglers for arrest and locating “stash houses” where smugglers hold migrants, the official said without specifying whether the U.S. forces involved would be military or civilian law enforcement.
The United States, Panama and Colombia had announced Tuesday an ambitious 60-day plan to shut down the primary migrant route for people traveling from South America.
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