Trump orders launch of Operation 'Southern Spear,' US War Department confirms
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (Photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has ordered the launch of an operation against drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere. The Department of War has already begun carrying it out, according to a post on X by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
“Today, I’m announcing Operation Southern Spear. Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” Hegseth wrote.
He also stated that the Western Hemisphere is America’s region.
Trump fights drug cartels
Each year, the number of people dying from drugs in the United States continues to rise. In particular, deaths from the dangerous opioid fentanyl - which became one of the main reasons for imposing 100% tariffs against China - have surged.
The Trump administration believed that Beijing was not doing enough to combat the shipment of substances used to produce fentanyl into the US. Cocaine is also a serious problem in the US, as is its cheaper variant, crack, while the popularity of other drugs is also increasing.
Venezuela, according to the President, is one of the main suppliers of drugs to the US. In August, Donald Trump signed a classified directive allowing direct military operations against Latin American drug cartels that had been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
US has amassed military power in the Caribbean
In connection with the above, the US has recently strengthened its military presence in Latin America. Washington claims this is related to the fight against drug trafficking.
Recently, the US Southern Command received the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford under its control. It will join other warships, a nuclear submarine, and aircraft based in Puerto Rico.
At the beginning of November, Donald Trump stated that Nicolás Maduro’s days as president of Venezuela are coming to an end, though he expressed doubts that the United States would carry out strikes on Venezuela.
Media reports indicated that Trump’s team is considering several strike options against Venezuela. These could include airstrikes on military facilities, the elimination of Maduro by elite forces, or the seizure of key infrastructure sites in the country.
