WASHINGTON, D.C. — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday a new operation, “Southern Spear,” expanding U.S. military efforts against what the administration describes as narco-terrorist networks operating across the Western Hemisphere. The mission, overseen by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and U.S. Southern Command (Southcom), is aimed at protecting the United States and disrupting maritime trafficking routes, Hegseth said in an online statement.
The Pentagon did not issue additional documentation and directed inquiries back to Hegseth’s post on social media. The announcement follows a White House briefing in which senior military leaders reportedly presented President Donald Trump with options for expanded operations in the region, including possible land-based strikes in Venezuela.
The rollout comes after U.S. officials confirmed the military’s 20th lethal strike on what they described as an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea on Monday. A Pentagon official, speaking anonymously, said four people were killed in the incident. To date, U.S. forces have killed at least 80 individuals since the counternarcotics campaign began in early September. Officials have not publicly released evidence linking specific vessels to drug operations.
Earlier this year, the Navy’s 4th Fleet announced its own “Southern Spear” initiative using robotic and autonomous systems to detect and monitor suspected trafficking. It remains unclear how Thursday’s announcement relates to the January rollout.
Over recent months, the administration has significantly expanded its military presence in the Southcom region, deploying warships, F-35 jets, surveillance aircraft and, this week, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group as pressure mounts on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom U.S. officials label an “illegitimate leader.”
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