🇺🇸🌎 US military deploying over 4,000 additional troops to waters around Latin America as part of Trump’s counter-cartel mission

The US military is deploying more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the waters around Latin America and the Caribbean as part of a ramped-up effort to combat drug cartels, two US defense officials told CNN — a dramatic show of force that will give the president a broad range of military options should he want to target drug cartels.

The deployment of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to US Southern Command, which has not been previously reported, is part of a broader repositioning of military assets to the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility that has been underway over the last three weeks, one of the officials said.

A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser are also being allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission, the officials said.

A third person familiar with the matter said the additional assets are “aimed at addressing threats to US national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/15/politics/us-military-deploying-caribbean-latin-america-cartel-mission

🇺🇸✡️ The ADL has labeled “America First” as antisemitic, racist, and xenophobic.

https://extremismterms.adl.org/glossary/america-first

🔗 AF Post

🇺🇸❌🇷🇺-According to Reuters and The Guardian, Trump and Putin met in Alaska to discuss Ukraine. No ceasefire was agreed, with Putin demanding Ukraine cede Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

➡️Trump stressed Ukraine must negotiate, noting Russia’s military strength.

➡️Zelenskyy will meet Trump in Washington to discuss next steps, while European leaders support Ukraine’s role in peace talks.

➡️The summit leaves room for further dialogue but no immediate resolution.

🇵🇱🪖📈 — Poland’s new conservative Karol Nawrocki declares that he will work for the Polish Armed Forces to be increased from the planned 300 000 men to half a million men

🔗 Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24)

🇨🇳🪖📹 — At midnight on August 17, in Dongcheng District, Beijing, capital of People's Republic of China, a large number of military vehicles of the People's Liberation Army participated in parade rehearsals.

📆 A parade will be held on September 3, 2025 in celebration of the Chinese Victory over Imperial Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War, war in which, ironically, the Chinese Red Army (predecessor of the PLA) played a minority role when compared to the National Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang, the Chinese Nationalist Party

🔗 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele)

🇨🇳❌🇨🇳🇨🇳 — On August 16, the overpasses on Beijing's streets and overpasses have now started to have three bridge guards assigned.

A Chinese netizen comments:

I’ve observed these bridge guards eating, and just like the police officers on duty in the police cars, they all get a standard boxed meal for each meal, accompanied by yogurt and fruit. It’s better than what many office workers eat.

🔗 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele)

🇨🇳🪖📹 — Current traffic control situation in Beijing city as the PLA conducts parade rehearsals.

🔗 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele)