Díaz-Balart: U.S. Southern Command's Miami Location is Vital to U.S. National Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Member of the Defense Subcommittee on House Appropriations, issued the following statement after the House approved the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026:

"I am grateful to Chairman Ken Calvert of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for including language that I secured in the fiscal year 2026 funding bill to ensure that U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) remains strategically located in Miami, Florida.

"U.S. Southern Command serves as a bulwark against the trafficking of drugs, transnational criminal organizations, and the increasingly aggressive influence of China and Russia in the region. Through key regional partnerships, SOUTHCOM has been instrumental in saving American lives by combating the illegal flow of drugs into our country and across the Western Hemisphere. In doing so, it has denied financial resources to anti-American regimes such as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

"Additionally, its headquarters in Miami are located near other vital U.S. operational units such as Joint Interagency Task Force – South, Special Operations Command South, U.S. Coast Guard 7th District, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, and Joint Task Force Bravo. This proximity fosters interagency collaboration and supports a whole-of-government approach to protect the American people.

"The presence of SOUTHCOM in the region is vital to safeguarding America and protecting our communities from the scourge of illicit drugs and transactional crime."

FY 2026 Defense bill text is available here.