Military v. drug trafficking

The Nicaraguan Army wants to use Russian fighter jets, including MiG-29 aircraft, to combat drug trafficking in Nicaragua, Brigadier-General Aldolfo Zepeda told reporters this week. “In order to prevent drug-smuggling aircraft passing through our airspace,” Zepeda said, the Nicaraguan authorities are “taking steps to buy jet interceptors.”

He described the move as “purely defensive, not aggressive.” But some have speculated the military upgrade will prompt Nicaragua's neighbors, including Colombia, to grow its own aerial firepower in retaliation. The International Court of Justice in The Hague awarded Nicaragua 75,000 square kilometers in the Caribbean that used to be Colombia’s in 2012.

Nicaraguan Army Wants Russian Fighter Jets To Combat Drug Trafficking In Nicaragua, But Colombia Suspects Ulterior Motives