Global Intelligence Summary

Following a meeting with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 10 September, Peru’s newly elected President Keiko Fujimori stated that the country will be joining the US-led Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), known colloquially as the “Shield of the Americas”. Peru had previously signed the Americas Counter Cartel Conference Joint Security Declaration on 5 March 2026 through its Ministry of Defence. The March declaration committed participants to expand security cooperation, including on border security, counter-narcotics, “narco-terrorism” and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Following the visit, Rubio stated that the US is not preparing to conduct unilateral military action in Peru, but stressed that it will continue to strengthen its cooperation with Peru on security matters, with a special emphasis on joint efforts between the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to combat transnational organised crime. The PNP will also coordinate more with the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

Solace Global Assessment: 

Peru’s joining of the A3C will likely deepen an already expanding security relationship with the US rather than result in an immediate change to Peru’s security posture. US agencies routinely provide training and support to Peruvian police, military, and counter-narcotics units, with the most immediate effect likely to be increased intelligence sharing, faster access to information and increased coordination with US agencies.

In contrast to Ecuador and Colombia, Peru has yet to display any clear signs of a shift towards the use of airstrikes or other military operations against organised crime groups (OCGs). Peru’s current strategy appears more centred on police-led operations, as opposed to a more militarised approach. However, Fujimori campaigned heavily on improving security and has invoked Peru’s experience of confronting terrorism in framing the current threat from organised crime.

Moreover, the coalition has advocated for greater military involvement in countering transnational criminal groups, and Peru’s armed forces already exercise direct operational control in the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM), Pataz, and Putumayo and support the police across several other emergency zones. Therefore, a shift toward a more militarised approach would likely be straightforward to implement, and Peru’s membership of the A3C would likely lower the political and operational barriers to one.

With Peru joining the A3C alongside all of its neighbours except Brazil, the coalition will likely consolidate a near-continuous counter-narcotics framework across the Andean region. However, this leaves the Peru-Brazil border as a major gap in coverage, a development that OCGs will likely exploit. In the long-term, increased pressure and intelligence sharing among A3C members will likely displace trafficking activity towards the border region and the wider Amazon basin, where state presence is limited.