Key Facts

• Guatemala's president, Bernardo Arévalo, rejected reports that Guatemala authorized U.S. airstrikes on drug smugglers in the country.
• Guatemala requested U.S. support in operations led by Guatemalan security forces against drug trafficking groups.
• Only Guatemala’s lawmakers can approve any military operations on Guatemalan territory, and they have not done so.
• Guatemala shares a long border with Mexico and has a history of working with U.S. authorities on drug intelligence and seizures.
• The U.S. government under President Trump launched a large anti-drug campaign in Latin America, involving strikes on drug-smuggling boats that reportedly killed around 200 people since September.
• The U.S. created the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition in March, involving 17 countries including Guatemala, aiming to fight drug cartels in the region.
• Tensions exist between the U.S. and Mexico after two CIA agents died in a Mexico border accident linked to anti-drug operations and after the U.S. charged Mexican officials with drug trafficking.
• Guatemala says its request for U.S. help fits into agreements already in place and stopped short of allowing U.S. military operations on its soil.