By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. military officials involved with President Donald Trump’s expanding operations in Latin America have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, three U.S. officials say, a development that raises new questions about a military buildup that Venezuela fears may lead to an invasion.
The step is highly unusual, given that U.S. military officials are already required to shield national security secrets from public view, and comes as lawmakers in Congress say they are being kept in the dark about key aspects of the mission.
The officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity did not know how many members of the U.S. Defense Department had been asked to sign the agreements and did not offer further details on the scope of the NDAs.
While the Defense Department has turned to NDAs from time to time since Pete Hegseth became defense secretary in January, the Pentagon’s use of non-disclosure agreements specific to activities in Latin America has not been previously reported.
The Pentagon announced last week the deployment of the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, escalating a military buildup that experts say far exceeds any requirement for counter-narcotics operations — the stated intent of the U.S. mission so far.
The U.S. military has carried out at least 13 strikes against alleged drug vessels, mostly in the Caribbean, since early September, killing about 57 people. The Pentagon has provided few details about the people targeted but has acknowledged some of them include people from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.
The carrier strike group adds another roughly 10,000 troops and enormous firepower to a buildup that already includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around 6,500 troops.
The Pentagon has not explained why such firepower is required for the counter-narcotics operations.
Hegseth has taken a series of steps to try to control the flow of information since taking over the Pentagon in January. He told Pentagon staff they must obtain permission before interacting with members of Congress, according to an Oct. 15 memo. He has also launched leak investigations and demanded Pentagon-based journalists sign a new press access policy, taking away the credentials of those who did not.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
DRUG TRADE
Trump’s administration has been tying the governments of Venezuela and, more recently, neighboring Colombia directly to the drug trade, allegations denied by both governments. The claims, however, have raised concerns that the U.S. military might be tasked with carrying out attacks in both countries.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican lawmaker with close ties to Trump, suggested in a television interview on Sunday Trump would soon outline to Congress “future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia.”
Washington in August doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups that Maduro denies.
Tensions between the United States and Venezuela’s neighbor, Colombia, have also spiked in recent days, with Trump accusing Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug leader” and a “bad guy” – language Petro’s government says is offensive. Washington on Friday imposed sanctions on Petro.
Graham said Trump had all the authority he needed to carry out operations in Latin America.
“These military assets are moving forward to deal with a country that’s got blood on its hands when it comes to Americans by flooding our country with drugs from Venezuela and Colombia,” Graham told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan.
“So, I hope Maduro would leave peacefully, but I don’t think he’s going to stay around much longer.”
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; additional reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
