WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is sending more than 4,000 sailors and Marines to the seas around Latin America, a U.S. official said, a show of strength after President Donald Trump signaled he’s willing to use military force against drug cartels.

The official, who asked not to be identified discussing details that haven’t been made public, said the expeditionary force was headed to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations but declined to identify the exact destination.

The deployment involves the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which include three amphibious vessels.

The ready group and expeditionary unit function jointly as a crisis response force and thus can move among combatant commands as needed.

CNN first reported the decision. The Navy had earlier announced the departure of the unit from Norfolk, Virginia for “a regularly scheduled deployment.” U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility includes Central and South America and the surrounding waters, as well as the Caribbean.

There was no immediate word on what the troops would do, but the New York Times reported earlier that Trump had ordered the Defense Department to prepare options to take military action against Latin American drug cartels. Mexico has ruled out the deployment of U.S. forces on its territory.

In the coming months, U.S. Southern Command will have additional resources to assist with the administration’s counter-narcotics operations, the U.S. official said.

The movement of the forces to the region doesn’t mean they won’t ultimately move elsewhere as originally planned, potentially to engage in exercises, the official said.

Typically, naval forces departing from the East Coast head to Europe, as the U.S. historically has not devoted significant military resources in the western hemisphere, the official said. But the U.S. president has stepped up military operations in the region, including sending guided missile destroyers to support border operations.

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