US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced a new military campaign aimed at targeting “narco-terrorists,” heightening concerns that Washington’s growing naval presence in Latin American waters could pave the way for land strikes and a broader conflict.
“Today, I’m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR,” Hegseth wrote on X. “This mission defends our homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our hemisphere, and secures our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
He offered no further details on the scope of the mission or how it differs from ongoing US operations.
The Trump administration has ramped up its anti-drug campaign across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, deploying naval and air assets in what it describes as a major interdiction effort. US forces have struck about 20 vessels in international waters since early September, killing at least 76 people, according to official figures.
When asked to clarify the new operation, a Pentagon spokesperson directed reporters back to Hegseth’s social-media announcement, offering no additional explanation.
The launch of Operation Southern Spear comes as senior US military officials have reportedly presented President Donald Trump with updated options for possible action in Venezuela — including potential land strikes — CBS News reported on Wednesday.
Caracas, already alarmed by the US build-up, announced a nationwide military deployment on Tuesday, framing Washington’s actions as a looming threat to its sovereignty. Venezuela has pointed to the arrival of a US aircraft carrier strike group in regional waters, the deployment of F-35 stealth jets to Puerto Rico, and the presence of six US Navy ships in the Caribbean as evidence of what it fears may be a regime-change operation in disguise.
