President Donald Trump’s Department of War (DOW) announced Thursday evening the immediate launch of Operation Southern Spear, a new, formalized military mission aimed at aggressively cracking down on drug traffickers—labeled as “narco-terrorists”—across the Western Hemisphere.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth unveiled the operation in a post on X, declaring, “President Trump ordered action — and the Department of War is delivering.” He specified the mission’s goal is to “remove narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere” and secure the U.S. “Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
The announcement formalizes an aggressive military posture that has already seen the DOW carry out a reported 20 strikes involving lethal force on suspected “narco boats,” primarily off the coast of Venezuela, in recent weeks.
Military Buildup and Command Structure
Operation Southern Spear will be led by the newly established Joint Task Force Southern Spear and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the Miami-based unified combatant command responsible for U.S. military activities across the Caribbean, Central, and South America.
The military surge into the region has been clearly signaled by the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and its strike group. The U.S. Navy announced the carrier’s arrival in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility on Tuesday, just two days prior to Secretary Hegseth’s formal announcement.
The Pentagon had authorized the carrier strike group’s deployment to Latin America in late October.
“The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it,” Secretary Hegseth wrote in his announcement.
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Congressional and International Reaction
The escalating military action comes amidst a contentious legal and political debate in Washington. Last week, an attempt in the Senate to halt the strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats without Congressional approval failed.
A War Powers Resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and co-sponsored by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) fell nine votes short of the 60 required to overcome a filibuster.
The operation has also drawn strong rebukes from regional leaders. Left-wing Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly warned President Trump against continuing the strikes, stating on Sunday, “do not attack the condor,” and cautioning that if the U.S. president continues to do so, “the American people’s jaguar awakens.”
Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine.
Operation Southern Spear signals a major expansion of the Trump administration’s strategy, treating drug trafficking organizations as a military-level threat to the U.S. homeland.
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