United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
Updated March 30, 2022
United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM),
integrated officer/enlisted leader development; and
headquartered in Miami-Dade County, FL, was officially
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
established in 1963. Prior to that, U.S. military elements in
Countering threats by increasing cooperation and
the Western hemisphere had been organized under the U.S.
information sharing with allies and partners to
Caribbean Defense Command. SOUTHCOM’s area of
understand and counter threats from transnational
responsibility (AOR) begins at the southern Mexican border
criminal organizations (TCOs), violent extremist
and contains the remaining elements of Central and South
organizations, and malign actors.
America, adjacent Atlantic and Pacific waters, and the
Caribbean Sea, ultimately encompassing 31 countries and
Building the SOUTHCOM team by prioritizing a
16 dependencies and areas of special sovereignty. The
workforce that is trained, highly competent, and
region represents about one-sixth of the landmass of the
educated in the history and cultures of the region; is fit
world assigned to regional unified commands.
and disciplined; and takes into account quality of life
SOUTHCOM is led by U.S. Army General Laura
issues of the families of SOUTHCOM personnel.
Richardson.
The Department of Defense (DOD) is not the lead U.S.
Figure 1. U.S. Southern Command
government agency for many of the activities that fall under
this mission set. As a result, SOUTHCOM has designed its
posture to support, rather than lead, other agencies and
countries in the region. Security cooperation—a term
describing DOD engagements with other countries to
improve respective defense capabilities and capacities—
involves key programs used by SOUTHCOM to advance
U.S. objectives in the region.
The Evolving Geopolitical Context of the
Southern Hemisphere
The Biden Administration’s 2021 Interim National Security
Strategic Guidance (INSSG) notes that “our vital national
interests compel the deepest connection to the Indo-Pacific,
Europe, and the Western Hemisphere.” The document goes
on to argue,
Because the vital national interests of the United
States are inextricably bound to the fortunes of our
closest neighbors in the Americas, we will expand
our engagement and partnerships throughout the
Western Hemisphere – and especially with Canada
Source: Congressional Research Service.
and Mexico – based on principles of mutual respect
and equality and a commitment to economic
SOUTHCOM and National Strategic Priorities
prosperity, security, human rights, and dignity.
During the Cold War, SOUTHCOM undertook a variety of
This includes working with the Congress to provide
missions intended to prevent the Soviet Union (USSR) from
Central America with $4 billion in assistance over
gaining a strategic foothold in the Western hemisphere.
four years, and taking other steps to address the root
After the end of the Cold War, the command changed its
causes of human insecurity and irregular migration,
focus to containing and/or countering narcotics trafficking
including
poverty,
criminal
violence,
and
and humanitarian assistance missions. Today,
corruption – problems made exponentially worse by
SOUTHCOM states that the command seeks to advance
COVID-19 and the deep recession and debt crisis it
national strategic objectives in three primary ways:
has wrought throughout Latin America and the
Strengthening partnerships with other countries and
Caribbean.
agencies in the region through activities that enhance
access and presence, such as (but not limited to)
Strategic Challenges?
building their respective security institutions and
SOUTHCOM maintains that the main threats with which it
capacities (including through advancing human rights),
must be prepared to contend include the Peoples Republic
of China, Russia, Transnational Criminal Organizations,
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United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
corruption, climate change, and the Coronavirus Disease
Special Operations Command South
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With respect to Russia and
(USSOCSOUTH) is located at Homestead Air Reserve
China, according to SOUTHCOM, both countries appear to
Base, Miami-Dade County, FL.
be gaining a greater foothold in the region—particularly in
Venezuela—raising the question as to whether
Three task forces also report to USSOUTHCOM:
SOUTHCOM’s AOR is, or will become, a key arena for
Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), Soto Cano Air
strategic competition. Other observers, however, contend
Base, Honduras. JTF-Bravo organizes multilateral
that Chinese and Russian activities in Latin America do not
exercises and supports, with U.S. partner nations, and
rise to the level of strategic concern given the extent and
humanitarian and civic assistance. It also organizes
depth of U.S. engagement across the region. Regardless,
counterdrug, contingency, and disaster relief operations
contending with various manifestations of strategic
in Central America.
competition has become a mission for the command, in
addition to other extant regional priorities.
Joint Task Force Guantanamo, U.S. Naval Station
China’s
Guantanamo Bay (GTMO), Cuba. TF-Guantanamo
engagement with Latin America and the
conducts some detention and interrogation operations in
Caribbean has grown significantly over the past 20
support of U.S. counterterrorism operations, and
years, particularly in terms of diplomatic and economic
coordinates and implements detainee screening
ties. This growth reflects China’s global “soft power”
efforts and “influence operations” worldwide.
operations. It also supports law enforcement and war
crimes investigations, as well as Military Commissions
According to SOUTHCOM, China also increasingly
for Detained Enemy Combatants. JTF-Guantanamo is
pays for the security forces of countries within its AOR
also prepared to support mass migration operations.
to attend Spanish- and Portuguese-language military
education programs.
Joint Interagency Task Force South, Key West,
Florida. JIATF-South is an interagency task force that
Russia has increased its engagement with Latin
organizes and leads interagency counter-drug operations
America over the past decade, although this engagement
and is responsible for the detection and monitoring of
is relatively limited compared with China’s economic
suspect air and maritime drug activity in the Caribbean
activities in the region. Russia has resuscitated relations
Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific. JIATF-
with former Cold War allies Cuba and Nicaragua, and
South also collects, processes, and disseminates counter-
expanded relations with countries that have had
drug information for interagency operations.
antagonistic relations with the United States, especially
Venezuela.
SOUTHCOM Funding
TCOs in the region are known to engage in the
DOD budget documentation does not break out total
trafficking of drugs, weapons, and people, as well as
funding by combatant command. Forces and operations
human smuggling, money laundering, and other forms
assigned to the commands are, in general, funded by the
of illegal activity. As described in the INSSG, a priority
military services. Combatant command funding is, with
for the Biden Administration is assistance to Central
some exceptions, limited to Operation and Maintenance
America that addresses “the root causes of human
(O&M) accounts for headquarters and mission support
insecurity and irregular migration, including poverty,
activities. In the case of SOUTHCOM, the U.S. Army is the
criminal violence, and corruption.”
Combatant Command Support Agent (CCSA) and primarily
responsible for funding its headquarters. For FY2022, the
SOUTHCOM Subcomponents
Army requested $196.7 million in the O&M subactivity
As with other Combatant Commands, SOUTHCOM is a
group for SOUTHCOM, according to DOD budget
headquarters; no military units are permanently assigned.
documents. Congress provided $202.1 million for this
SOUTHCOM operates through component commands—
activity—$5.4 million (2.7%) more than the request,
one for each of the U.S. armed services, along with a joint
according to the explanatory statement accompanying the
special operations component. Each component command
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2022 (Division
may or may not have military forces assigned to it in
C of P.L. 117-103).
theater.
For Additional Reading: CRS In Focus IF10982, China’s
U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) is located at Ft. Sam
Engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean; CRS
Houston, TX.
Report R44313, What Is “Building Partner Capacity?”
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth
Issues for Congress; CRS In Focus IF10460, Latin America
Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/ COMFOURTHFLT) is
and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy Overview; CRS Report
located in Mayport Naval Base in Florida.
R46781, Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and
Key Issues in the 117th Congress; and CRS Report R47028,
Air Forces Southern/Twelfth Air Force (AFSOUTH)
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the
is located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
Caribbean: FY2022 Appropriations.
U.S. Marine Forces South (USMARFORSOUTH) is
located in Miami-Dade County, FL.
Kathleen J. McInnis, Specialist in International Security
Brendan W. McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget
IF11464
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United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)
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