U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday, November 14 the launch of a military operation aimed at ‘removing narco-terrorists,’ amid rising concerns that a U.S. naval build-up in Latin American waters could presage land strikes and a wider conflict.
“Today, I’m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR,” Hegseth posted 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.
The statement did not clarify what the new operation would involve or how it would differ from ongoing military activities.
President Donald Trump’s administration is conducting a military campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, deploying naval and air forces for an anti-drugs offensive.
When asked for clarification on the precise nature of Operation Southern Spear, a Pentagon spokesperson simply referred inquiries back to Hegseth’s post on X.
Previously, CBS News cited several sources on Wednesday, October 14, indicating that senior military officials had presented Trump with updated options for possible operations in Venezuela, including strikes on land.
On Tuesday, Venezuela announced what it described as a large-scale, nationwide military deployment in response to the expanding U.S. naval presence off its coast—which now includes a newly arrived U.S. aircraft carrier strike group in the region.
