U.S. officials said on the 14th that, as counter-narcotics operations in Latin America expand, Washington is deploying several hundred troops to the region. A 600-strong unit from New York has begun deploying to a newly built jungle training facility in Panama and will conduct joint training with Colombian and Honduran forces. The troops are to assist U.S. Army South. Panama, Colombia and Honduras have not commented; the Pentagon declined to comment on the deployment.