Despite objections from congressional committees, US President Donald Trump's administration has redirected tens of millions of dollars intended for countries in Europe and the Middle East to Latin American nations.

Operativ Media reports that The Washington Post published this information on October 1, citing three sources.

According to the report, the US State Department notified Congress in September about the redirection of the funds. Following this, Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representative Gregory Meeks blocked the process.

However, according to the newspaper, the US administration informed Congress this week that it would bypass the previous block and transfer $52 million to Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.

The funds in question were originally approved for Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia, and Iraq.

In a statement to The Washington Post, the US State Department said that the reallocation of funds does not run counter to the country's national interests.

According to the agency, redirecting the funding from the Middle East and Europe to the Western Hemisphere aligns with the US national security strategy. The department believes this funding will help combat narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere and secure the Panama Canal.