Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday that the United States launched a new military operation targeting narco-terrorists. The announcement comes as the nation has launched strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats.
“President Trump ordered action—and the Department of War is delivering,” Hegseth wrote,” 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.”
Earlier this week, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group entered the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility. The carrier strike group will bolster the joint forces already in the region, including the Two Jima Amphibious Ready Group.
“The enhanced U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell. “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations.”
In January, the Navy announced that it would lead Operation Southern Spear to “support the detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking while learning lessons for other theaters.” The operation uses “long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical take-off and landing robotic air vessels.”
“Southern Spear’s results will help determine combinations of unmanned vehicles and manned forces needed to provide coordinated maritime domain awareness and conduct counternarcotics operations,” the Navy said at the time.
