US announces Southern Spear' mission as forces deploy to South America

"United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has formally announced the launch of a US military operation to target so-called narco-terrorists as Washington's large-scale build-up of troops, warships and fighter jets continues in Latin America. 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, Hegseth said in a post on X."

"SOUTHCOM is the acronym for US Southern Command, whose area of responsibility covers 31 countries through South America, Central America and the Caribbean. In a post on social media, SOUTHCOM said US Marines were conducting artillery training onboard the USS Iwo Jima an amphibious assault ship in the Caribbean in support of US President Donald Trump's priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland."

"Hegseth's announcement late on Thursday followed a report that the US military had carried out its 20th attack on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing four people earlier this week. US broadcaster CNN quoted an unnamed US Defense Department official who said there were no survivors from a strike on a suspect drug smuggling vessel, which took place on Monday."

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the launch of Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR, a US military mission to target so-called narco-terrorists across the Western Hemisphere. The operation is led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), whose area of responsibility covers 31 countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The US has carried out strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, with a reported 20th attack killing four people and no survivors according to a Defense Department source. US Marines conducted artillery training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean as part of deployments to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and secure the homeland. The deployment includes a large-scale build-up of troops, warships and fighter jets.

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