600 soldiers from Colombia and the United States complete military training exercise

Over 600 Colombian and US soldiers completed training exercises in locating and destroying laboratories used for processing illicit substances and carrying out aerial assaults, among other activities.

U.S Major General Joseph A Hopkins described the exercise, Vanguardia del Sur 2026, as "mutually beneficial," adding that Colombia "stands at the vanguard of hemispheric security." US troops have carried out joint operations in other Latin American countries battling drug-related trafficking and violence, including Mexico and Ecuador.