ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

United States Southern Command

The United States Southern Command, or SOUTHCOM for short, is kind of like a big boss that helps keep things running smoothly in an area called Latin America.

Now, imagine that you are playing with your toys, but your toys are different countries, like Mexico, Brazil or Venezuela, and in this game, you are the boss of the toy countries. You need someone to help you make sure everyone plays nicely and things don't get too messy.

That's kind of what the United States Southern Command does. They help countries work together to solve problems, like crime or natural disasters, and they also help make sure everyone is safe and following the rules.

SOUTHCOM mostly focuses on helping with things like drug trafficking, terrorism, and disaster response. They have a team of specially trained people, who work together with the toy countries to make sure everyone stays safe and that the bad guys don't win.

So basically, the United States Southern Command is like the toy king who makes sure everyone behaves, so that everyone can have fun playing together.