WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete โขHegseth announced operation “Southern Spear“โ on Thursday, a mission intended to combatโข drug โtrafficking and narco-terrorism in the Western โHemisphere.
According to a statement posted on social media,the operation,led byโฃ the Southern โฃSpear-SOUTHCOM Joint Task Force,aims “to defend our homeland,remove narco-terrorists from our hemisphere,and protect our country from the drugs that are killing our people.” No further details aboutโฃ the operation wereโ immediately provided.
The declaration follows recent instancesโฃ of the U.S. military โintercepting suspected drug โขcourier boats in the Caribbean andโข issuing warningsโ to venezuelaโ regarding its drug trade. In โขJanuary, the U.S. military initiated a similar operation focused onโ deploying autonomous drones andโข boats to counter suspected drugโ smuggling vessels.
The operation coincides withโ the U.S. governmentโ reaching framework agreements with Ecuador, Guatemala, and El Salvador โto improve market access for U.S. companies.Trade negotiationsโ with Switzerland and Taiwan were also reported as positive on Thursday.
