The U.S. military is expected to move most of its MQ-9 "Reaper" drones out of Africa and into U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees Latin America, according to six sources who spoke with CNN. The Pentagon declined to comment. The shift comes as the Trump administration ramps up counternarcotics and counterterrorism plans in South America, including potential operations in Ecuador. One source said discussions are still underway about sending some drones to the Middle East instead, where the US has lost MQ-9s in strikes against Iran. Some sources voiced concern that pulling drones from Africa could hurt ongoing operations against ISIS and al Shabaab there. The move follows a classified DOJ legal opinion, previously reported by CNN, authorizing lethal strikes against a secret list of cartels. Colombia has separately arranged to borrow three MQ-9A drones from the US, and Panama just received over six million dollars in drone systems for border surveillance. Source: