WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced operation “Southern Spear“ on Thursday, a mission intended to combat drug trafficking and narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.
According to a statement posted on social media,the operation,led by the Southern Spear-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 about the operation were immediately provided.
The declaration follows recent instances of the U.S. military intercepting suspected drug courier boats in the Caribbean and issuing warnings to venezuela regarding its drug trade. In January, the U.S. military initiated a similar operation focused on deploying autonomous drones and boats to counter suspected drug smuggling vessels.
The operation coincides with the U.S. government reaching framework agreements with Ecuador, Guatemala, and El Salvador to improve market access for U.S. companies.Trade negotiations with Switzerland and Taiwan were also reported as positive on Thursday.
