‘Drugs are killing our people...’: Hegseth announces ‘Operation Southern Spear’ – What is it?

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Thursday (Nov 13) announced a new operation against “narco-terrorists” in the Western Hemisphere. The military campaign, dubbed “Southern Spear”, will be led by a joint task force and is aimed at securing “our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” he said, without giving further details about the operation. This comes after Pentagon officials said on Thursday (Nov 13) that the United States conducted its 20th strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat. At least four people were killed in the strike, which took place on Monday (Nov 10).

“President Trump ordered action — and the Department of War is delivering,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X. “Today, I’m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR.”

“Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, 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,” he said.

The announcement comes amid speculations that the US may be preparing to strike targets in Venezuela, calling its President Nicolas Maduro illegitimate and the head of a narco-trafficking network.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened attacks on the country following several strikes against boats allegedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Earlier this week, the US expanded its military presence in the region by positioning its aircraft carrier strike group as part of its campaign against drug cartels, the Navy’s Fourth Fleet announced Tuesday (Nov 11).

Rubio pushes back EU criticism

While the Pentagon has stated that the operations are being conducted to disrupt drug-trafficking networks, the strikes have drawn criticism from governments in the region for their mounting civilian toll and lack of transparency. At least 79 people have been killed as a result of the strikes so far.

Defending the US strikes against alleged drug vessels, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday (Nov 12) said that the European Union don’t get to determine how the United States defends its national security.

“I don’t think that the European Union gets to determine what international law is. They certainly don’t get to determine is how the United States defends its national security. The United States is under attack from organized criminal narco-terrorists in our hemisphere, and the president is responding in the defense of our country,” Rubio told reporters following a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in Canada.

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