On November 13, 2025, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth took to social media to announce a new and dramatically titled military campaign: Operation Southern Spear. The initiative, ordered by President Donald Trump, aims to target what the administration calls 'narco-terrorists' across Latin America. As Hegseth boldly declared on X, "President Trump ordered action – and the Department of War is delivering. Today, I’m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR. Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and U.S. Southern Command, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it."
The new operation comes amid a significant and conspicuous U.S. military build-up in the Caribbean and parts of Latin America. The centerpiece of this show of force is the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford—the world’s largest aircraft carrier—which steamed into the region on November 11, 2025, accompanied by a full strike group. This armada includes nine squadrons from Carrier Air Wing Eight, guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan, the missile defense command ship USS Winston S Churchill, and eight other Navy vessels such as the USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale. All told, around 10,000 U.S. personnel are now deployed in the area, bolstered by a submarine, reconnaissance aircraft, 10 F-35 stealth fighters, and Reaper drones, according to reporting by the Air Force Times and ABC News.
While the Pentagon has been tight-lipped about the operational details, the stated goal is to disrupt narcotics trafficking and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. Since September 2, 2025, U.S. forces have carried out approximately 20 strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in at least 80 deaths, according to CBS News and other outlets. The U.S. claims these were "drug boats" linked to criminal cartels, some of which, it alleges, have ties to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
But the campaign has drawn sharp criticism and sparked fears of a wider conflict in the region. Venezuela, already on edge from the U.S. naval build-up, announced a major nationwide military deployment on November 12, 2025, to counter what it sees as a direct threat. President Maduro has flatly rejected U.S. accusations, claiming, "the US is fabricating a new war." He further warned, "the US naval deployment in the region is the greatest threat our continent has faced in the past 100 years." According to Independent, the Venezuelan government, along with Colombia, has accused Washington of engaging in extrajudicial killings and condemned what it sees as a violation of international law.
Human rights organizations and international law experts have echoed these concerns, warning that the U.S. strikes may be illegal. The United Kingdom, a key intelligence partner, ended regional intelligence sharing with the U.S. on November 11, 2025, citing concerns over the legality and proportionality of the American campaign. This diplomatic rift underscores the growing unease among U.S. allies about the escalation in Latin America.
Despite the controversy, Hegseth has defended the campaign in stark terms. At a defense summit in Fort Wayne, Indiana, he warned, "My advice to foreign terrorist organizations is do not get in a boat. If you’re trafficking drugs to poison the American people and we know you’re from a designated terrorist organization, you’re a foreign terrorist or trafficker – we will find you and we will kill you." These words, reported by Independent, reflect the administration’s willingness to frame the conflict as a direct extension of the post-9/11 "War on Terror." President Trump has described the fight as an "armed conflict" with the cartels, invoking the same legal authorities used by the George W. Bush administration in its campaign against al-Qaeda.
The operation’s technological edge is also notable. The U.S. Navy, under the U.S. 4th Fleet and Southern Command, has deployed long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical take-off and landing robotic air vehicles. These tools, according to TNND, are designed to extend surveillance and interdiction capabilities across vast maritime spaces, making it harder for traffickers to evade detection.
Yet, the lack of transparency about the mission’s scope and rules of engagement has fueled speculation and confusion. The Pentagon has repeatedly referred inquiries back to Hegseth’s original post, offering little clarity on whether Operation Southern Spear marks a significant escalation or simply a rebranding of ongoing efforts. Critics argue that the administration is using the operation as a pretext for regime change in Venezuela, especially after President Trump received an updated briefing on potential land strikes inside the country during the week of November 10-14, 2025, as reported by CNN and The Canary.
Some observers have even suggested that the timing of the announcement may be politically motivated, pointing to its proximity to the release of controversial Jeffrey Epstein emails. While such claims remain speculative, they highlight the intense scrutiny facing the White House’s foreign policy moves.
Meanwhile, the forthcoming National Security Strategy (NSS) is expected to further reshape U.S. policy around a hardline, nationalist "homeland" concept. According to The Canary, early drafts suggest a sweeping reorientation of foreign and domestic priorities, with critics warning that it could entrench a more militarized and unilateral approach to international affairs.
Amid all this, the human cost of the operation is already significant. The U.S. has acknowledged that at least 76 to 80 people have been killed in maritime strikes since September, with the most recent incident on November 11, 2025, resulting in four deaths. While the administration insists these actions are necessary to stem the flow of deadly drugs into the United States, the lack of publicly available evidence and the mounting civilian toll have only intensified the debate.
As Operation Southern Spear unfolds, the world watches closely. Allies are wary, adversaries are mobilizing, and the people of Latin America are left to wonder what the next chapter holds. The region stands on edge, uncertain whether this campaign will bring stability or spark a much wider crisis.
