Venezuela, US launches Operation Southern Spear against narcos
However, there is a suspicion that with these moves, President Trump wants to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Social X the launch of Operation Southern Spear, a military initiative aimed at targeting what he calls 'narco-terrorists' in the Americas, in implementation of a directive from President Donald Trump.
In the message, Hegseth explained that the operation will be led by the Joint Task Force Southern Spear together with the US Southern Command. The stated aim is to defend the country's territory, neutralise criminal groups operating in the Western Hemisphere and counter drug trafficking to the United States.
Although no operational details were provided, the Associated Press agency reports that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's most modern, will approach the coast of Venezuela in the coming days. This will join a significant military force already in the region, consisting of warships, nuclear submarines and aircraft, marking the largest US deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
President Donald Trump's administration accuses the Venezuelan government of inaction against drug trafficking. Since September 2025, the US has already launched missile attacks against Venezuelan ships suspected of carrying drugs. According to CNN sources, Trump also considers direct attacks on Venezuelan territory as part of a strategy to weaken President Nicolás Maduro.
In late September, Nbc News reported that the US military was considering options for attacks against drug traffickers inside Venezuela. In November, President Trump declared that Maduro's remaining days in power 'may be numbered', while assuring that Washington has no intention of going to war with Caracas.
