Trump Has Already Spent at Least $4.7 Billion Attacking Latin America

A new analysis by Brown University’s Costs of War Project reveals the U.S. military’s interventions in Venezuela and attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific have cost taxpayers at least $4.7 billion between August 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. This estimate, provided exclusively to The Intercept, includes $3.8 billion for naval deployments, notably the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. The Department of War has refused to provide a tally of these costs, which authors Hanna Homestead and Jennifer Kavanagh say is likely an undercount. These operations, termed "Operation Absolute Resolve" and "Operation Southern Spear," have also involved 53 attacks on drug boats, killing over 180 civilians since September 2025. The Trump administration's actions, part of what President Donald Trump calls the "Donroe Doctrine," are expected to continue accumulating costs as military presence remains in the region for the foreseeable future.