A map by Newsweek shows the latest extent of the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement of an operation he said is aimed to tackle “narco-terrorists.”
A U.S. build-up of troops, warships and fighter jets continues in Latin America and on Thursday, Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear in an X post, without revealing further details of what military actions might take place.
Social media users noted that Operation Southern Spear had been announced in January, as per America’s Navy, and it is unclear how the operation in Hegseth’s announcement differed from the one revealed a week after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for further comment.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration is conducting a military campaign in the Caribbean, where it has deployed naval and air forces in what it has framed as a crackdown on narcotics smuggling.
American forces have carried out strikes on about 20 vessels in international waters, killing at least 76 people, as confirmed by Washington, most recently on Monday.
The U.S. has said that the boats were linked to the regime of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, although Caracas has denied this. Operation Southern Spear will add to speculation over whether the U.S. will directly attack Venezuela.
What To Know
Hegseth announced on X the launch of a US military operation to target so-called “narco-terrorists” as part of Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR.
Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and SOUTHCOM, Hegseth said the aim of the operation was to remove “narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere” and secure the U.S. from drugs.
SOUTHCOM is the acronym for U.S. Southern Command, which covers 31 countries across South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
In a post on social media, SOUTHCOM reported that artillery training on the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima was underway in the Caribbean to back Trump’s “priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”
As the Newsweek map shows, the vessel is among naval assets in the region such as the destroyers USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, USS Sampson, the cruiser USS Lake Erie and the littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
The U.S. force in the Caribbean also includes, F-35B fighter jets, V-22 Ospreys, MQ-9 Reaper drones, P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and personnel at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford is expected to arrive off the coast of Venezuela within days.
What People Are Saying
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said: “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.”
SOUTHCOM in an X post said: “U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the #SOUTHCOM mission, @DeptofWar -directed operations, and @POTUS’ priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”
Latin America analyst Geoff Ramsey wrote on X: “Not to be that guy, but ‘Operation Southern Spear’ was first announced ten months ago, a week after the inauguration.”
What Happens Next
Venezuela’s Ministry of Defense said this week around 200,000 troops have been mobilized for a two-day exercise to prepare for the threat posed by the U.S. military.
Meanwhile, Maduro struck a defiant tone in a TV address on Wednesday in which he accused the U.S. of inventing “a bizarre narrative” and the arrival of USS Gerald R Ford to the region will add to speculation over whether the U.S. will try to force regime change.