U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR, a SOUTHCOM-led mission to target so-called "narco-terrorists" and curb drug flows into the United States. The announcement accompanies a growing U.S. military posture in the region, including exercises aboard the USS Iwo Jima and the imminent arrival of the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford near Venezuela. Recent U.S. strikes on suspected smuggling vessels reportedly killed four people, and rights groups say about 80 have died in similar incidents; critics say evidence and legal justification have not been publicly provided. Venezuela has mobilised nearly 200,000 troops for exercises and denounces the deployments as a threat to regional sovereignty.
US Launches Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR — Military Build-up in Latin America Raises Tensions Near Venezuela
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR, a SOUTHCOM-led mission to target so-called "narco-terrorists" and curb drug flows into the United States. The announcement accompanies a growing U.S. military posture in the region, including exercises aboard the USS Iwo Jima and the imminent arrival of the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford near Venezuela. Recent U.S. strikes on suspected smuggling vessels reportedly killed four people, and rights groups say about 80 have died in similar incidents; critics say evidence and legal justification have not been publicly provided. Venezuela has mobilised nearly 200,000 troops for exercises and denounces the deployments as a threat to regional sovereignty.
12:22 PM, 11/14/2025Security
US Launches Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR; Military Presence Expands in Latin America
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new mission, Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR, led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Hegseth said the operation aims to remove so-called "narco-terrorists" and disrupt drug flows into the United States, calling the mission necessary to "defend our Homeland".
SOUTHCOM — responsible for operations across 31 countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean — said U.S. Marines were conducting artillery training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean to support President Donald Trump’s priorities to disrupt illicit trafficking and protect the homeland.
The announcement follows reports that U.S. forces have carried out their 20th strike on suspected smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific. U.S. media quoted an unnamed Defense Department official saying there were "no survivors" after a recent strike that reportedly killed four people. Rights groups and critics say Washington has not published clear evidence or a legal justification for lethal strikes that they allege have killed about 80 people to date.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed criticism from G7 partners, saying European allies will not dictate how the United States defends its national security. Observers, however, note the broader pattern of deployments may also be intended to increase pressure on Venezuela’s government.
"The Western Hemisphere is America's neighborhood — and we will protect it," Hegseth wrote on X.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is expected off Venezuela’s coast within days, a deployment described by analysts as an extraordinary show of U.S. naval power in the region. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the U.S. of inventing pretexts to justify strikes and intimidation, saying on state television that Washington has "invent[ed] a bizarre narrative." Venezuela’s Ministry of Defence announced nearly 200,000 troops mobilised for a two-day exercise to respond to what it called an "imperialist threat," and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López labelled the U.S. deployment a "vulgar attack" on regional sovereignty.
Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the Andes at the International Crisis Group, told the Associated Press that aircraft carriers offer limited practical value against drug trafficking and that the Gerald R. Ford’s deployment appears to be a political signal aimed at Caracas.
What to watch next
- Whether U.S. authorities publish evidence or legal justification for strikes on suspected smuggling vessels.
- The reaction of regional governments, international organisations and human rights groups to both the strikes and the carrier’s deployment.
- How Venezuela’s military exercises and mobilisation affect tensions and the risk of escalation.