(Washington, D.C.) U.S. War Secretary Hegses announced a military operation codenamed "Southern Spear" in the Western Hemisphere to protect the homeland from drug trafficking. The operation will be led by the "Southern Spear" Joint Task Force and the U.S. Southern Command.
Hegses announced the operation on Thursday (November 13) via the social media platform X, stating that it aims to combat drug-trafficking terrorists in the Western Hemisphere.
The U.S. Southern Command's mission covers 31 countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The Pentagon also announced on Thursday that the U.S. military struck another suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean on Monday, killing all four drug-trafficking terrorists on board.
This is the 20th U.S. operation against Caribbean vessels since early September, ostensibly for drug interdiction. Officials say the U.S. military has killed 79 drug traffickers to date, and two surviving traffickers have been repatriated.
Further Reading
Venezuela accuses the United States of using drug trafficking as a pretext to plunder its oil resources. Venezuelan National Assembly President Rodríguez said on Thursday that the US government is attempting to overthrow the legitimate Venezuelan government and seize its wealth.
Recent reports from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) indicate that Venezuela is not a major source of drugs flowing into the United States.
