The United States Department of War announced the launch of "Operation Southern Spear", a mission led by Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the Joint Task Force Southern Spear (SOUTHERN SPEAR) aimed at dismantling drug trafficking and narcoterrorism networks in Latin America.
The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, presented the operation as a national security measure that responds directly to orders from President Donald Trump.
In a statement published on the social network X, he stated that the mission "defends our homeland, expels narcoterrorists from our hemisphere, and protects our people from the drugs that are killing our population."
The deployment includes the arrival in the Caribbean of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy and a symbol of the country's military power. Its presence represents the largest show of force by the United States in the region in decades.
El secretario de Guerra anunció la operación ''Southern Spear''
According to official sources, it is part of a broader campaign aimed at disrupting maritime drug trafficking routes and increasing pressure on governments accused of collaborating with criminal organizations, including the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
The operation adds to military exercises near the Venezuelan coast, intelligence missions authorized within the country, and actions against suspicious vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
According to figures released by U.S. authorities, these interventions have resulted in the neutralization of individuals linked to drug trafficking and the destruction of infrastructure used by criminal organizations.
Estados Unidos planea aumentar la presión contra la dictadura narcoterrorista de Maduro
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after participating in a G7 meeting in Canada, stated that the priority is to stop the flow of drugs into the United States through direct combat against "organized narcoterrorists." He indicated that the measures adopted by U.S. forces respond to President Trump's directives.
The reaction of the Venezuelan narcoterrorist regime was swift. The Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, announced a "mass mobilization" of troops, civilians, and military equipment in exercises conducted over two days. The maneuvers included naval, air, and land resources, as well as missile systems, in what Caracas described as preparations to face "imperialist threats."
The regional impact has been significant. In Colombia, Gustavo Petro, recently sanctioned by Washington under accusations of tolerating drug trafficking activities, initially suspended intelligence sharing with the United States, although he later conditioned cooperation on guarantees regarding human rights.
In Mexico, communist President Claudia Sheinbaumannounced operations by the Secretariat of the Navy to intercept suspicious vessels in international waters, following an agreement aimed at avoiding incidents with U.S. forces.
El secretario de Estado estadounidense recalcó la prioridad de frenar el comercio de drogas
