The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived here last night ahead of meetings with the leaders of U.S. Southern Command.
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. will meet with newly installed U.S. Southern Command chief Navy Adm. Kurt Tidd.
The command covers Central and South America and much of the Caribbean Sea. There are 31 countries and 16 dependencies in its area of operations. The major focuses of the command are combating transnational organized crime, building partner capacity and being prepared for contingency operations. Southcom also oversees detainee operations at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The command works closely with interagency partners throughout the region. Southcom has excellent relations with State Department officials operating in the region and with law enforcement and intelligence entities and uses these contacts to advance national security objectives.
The U.S. Coast Guard is an integral part of Southcom.
After his meetings here, Dunford will visit Joint Interagency Task Force - South at Key West Naval Air Station, Fla.
(Follow Jim Garamone on Twitter: @GaramoneDoDNews)