TEGUCIGALPA – The United States of America is requesting permission from the Government of Honduras to carry out a joint exercise between a group of U.S. Marines and Honduran counterparts.
This request has been presented as part of our collaboration on issues related to natural disaster preparedness, as well as our work in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.
As of now, we are still waiting final approval from the appropriate officials in the Honduran Government.
This is not a permanent increase in the number of U.S. troops in Honduras and we are not building bases here.
We have requested that the Marines be present in Honduras from June through November 2015, during hurricane season, to support Honduras and other countries in the region in the event of a hurricane or other major disaster.
While they are stationed here, the group will participate in various community service events in Gracias a Dios and training exercises with their counterparts in the Honduran military, which will include building schools.
This is one of several exercises we are collaborating on this year. This request has been months in the making, and we have been in close communication with Honduran officials at every level during the entire process.
