Washington, November 14, 2025 — The United States has launched an aggressive new military and intelligence campaign, Operation Southern Spear, aimed at dismantling powerful Latin American drug cartels and disrupting trafficking networks allegedly tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation at the Pentagon, describing it as a “direct strike on narco-terrorists who fuel violence, corruption, and destabilization across the Western Hemisphere.”
In one of the largest deployments for an anti-cartel mission in recent years, the Pentagon has sent its biggest operational warship to the region. Officials say the vessel will serve as a defensive shield against drug-smuggling routes, provide intelligence support, and coordinate surveillance operations across key maritime corridors.
Hegseth stated that Venezuelan-backed networks have evolved into “militarized trafficking syndicates,” operating with advanced weaponry, drones, and regional safe havens. The mission is expected to combine naval forces, Coast Guard units, intelligence agencies, and allied Latin American partners.
“Southern Spear is designed to choke off the cartels’ logistics, track their financial flows, and dismantle the cross-border structures that keep these criminal empires alive,” Hegseth said.
The operation comes amid rising concerns in Washington about deepening Venezuelan influence in organized crime, especially through groups that US officials say operate with the regime’s political protection. Analysts warn that cartel-linked violence has expanded across Colombia, Brazil, and the Caribbean, intensifying migration pressures and regional instability.
The Pentagon described the mission as a long-term campaign that will escalate in phases, targeting drug trafficking hubs, maritime routes, and financing networks. US officials also hinted at broader cooperation with regional governments willing to coordinate extraditions and intelligence sharing.
With Southern Spear now active, Washington signals a renewed strategic push in the Americas — one that blends counter-narcotics, geopolitics, and national security in a high-stakes regional confrontation.
