The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Miami, Florida, is one of ten unified Combatant Commands (COCOMs) in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central and South America, the Caribbean (except U.S. commonwealths, territories, and possessions), Cuba, the Bahamas, their territorial waters, and for the force protection of U.S. military resources at these locations. USSOUTHCOM is also responsible for ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal and canal area.

Under the leadership of a four-star Commander, Southcom is organized into directorates, component commands and military groups that represent SOUTHCOM in the region of Central America, South America & the Caribbean. The current commander is Admiral James G. Stavridis, United States Navy.

USSOUTHCOM is a joint command comprised of more than 1,200 military and civilian personnel representing the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and several other federal agencies. The Services provide USSOUTHCOM with component commands which, along with their JointSpecial Operations component, two Joint Task Forces, one Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Assistance Offices, perform USSOUTHCOM missions and security cooperation activities. USSOUTHCOM exercises its COCOM authority through the commanders of its components, Joint Task Forces/Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Assistance Organizations.