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By Gabe Whisnant
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post Thursday that the U.S. military’s expanding anti-drug campaign in the Caribbean will now be known as “Operation Southern Spear.”
Why It Matters
The new designation underscores the growing scale and long-term nature of the mission, which began this summer as part of the Trump administration’s effort to target narcoterrorism in the region. U.S. forces have carried out at least 20 strikes on vessels in South American waters, killing at least 76 people, officials have said.
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When reached for comment via email, Pentagon spokesperson directed Newsweek to a press release from last month regarding Joint Task Force "Southern Spear," which are the "ongoing operations in the U.S. Southern Command region."
Operation Southern Spear: What to Know
The operation will include nearly a dozen Navy ships and about 12,000 sailors and Marines positioned in the area following the upcoming arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
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The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford in Caribbean waters has started what one defense expert calls a strategic “shot clock,” forcing the Trump administration to decide whether to act militarily against Venezuela or retreat—each with profound geopolitical consequences.
The aircraft carrier group was ordered into the region on October 24 by Hegseth, who relocated it from the Mediterranean. According to the Pentagon, its mission is to “detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors” operating drug-trafficking routes that span from the Pacific to the Caribbean. But the scale of the deployment and its proximity to Venezuela have signaled a broader intent.
U.S. officials have long accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government of cooperating with drug-trafficking groups and corrupt security forces, allegations Maduro denies and dismisses as a pretext for Washington to weaken his regime. The operations began in the southern Caribbean near Venezuela’s coast but have recently shifted to the eastern Pacific, where U.S. forces have targeted boats off Mexico.
Hegseth wrote Thursday 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."
Hegseth's announcement comes after President Trump on Wednesday received updated military options for potential operations in Venezuela, including possible land strikes, according to CBS News. Senior defense leaders, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, briefed the president on scenarios for the coming days.
No final decision has been made on land strikes, CBS News reported. When reached via email earlier on Thursday, the Pentagon referred Newsweek to the White House for comment. Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email.
The Trump administration, backed by Secretary Hegseth, has defended the strikes near Venezuela as part of a broader campaign against what it calls “narco-terrorists” and transnational criminal networks.
Hegseth has argued that drug-trafficking vessels operating in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific pose a direct threat to U.S. national security and that the operations fall under the president’s war powers.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that President Trump is intent on stopping the flow of drugs into the United States by targeting what he called “organized criminal narcoterrorists.” Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Group of Seven foreign ministers in Canada, Rubio said the U.S. military presence in the region is carrying out the mission Trump authorized.
He added that Washington does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, accusing Maduro’s government — which faced widespread allegations of election fraud last year — of acting as a “transshipment organization” that openly cooperates with drug traffickers moving narcotics toward the United States.
The stepped-up U.S. presence has heightened tensions across the region and has triggered backlash from Congressional critics, both Democrats and Republicans, of the administration's military actions.
What People Are Saying
Mark Cancian, senior defense adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Newsweek via email, "“There’s no strategic rationale for sending the Ford to the region unless it’s intended for use against Venezuela. The shot clock is now running—this carrier can’t just sit idle. They’ll either need to act or redeploy it, and pulling back would amount to backing off.”
He continued, “The Ford is too powerful a capability to just sit in the Caribbean and do nothing,” Cancian said. “They’ll probably run some exercises, but it won’t be able to sit there week after week.”
Elizabeth Dickinson, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for the Andes region, told the Associated Press, “This is the anchor of what it means to have U.S. military power once again in Latin America. And it has raised a lot of anxieties in Venezuela but also throughout the region. I think everyone is watching this with sort of bated breath to see just how willing the U.S. is to really use military force.”
Dickinson continued, “There’s nothing that an aircraft carrier brings that is useful for combating the drug trade. I think it’s clearly a message that is much more geared toward pressuring Caracas.”
What Happens Next
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said Tuesday that troops, civilian militia members, police officers and ruling party organizers will be mobilized for a training exercise to protect the country’s airspace. His announcement was broadcast on state television from a military base in Caracas, where he stood beside a surface-to-air missile system, though no training activity was visible elsewhere in the capital.
Updates: 11/13/25, 6:23 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 11/13/25, 7:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 11/13/25, 7:52 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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