” OWNToday I announce Operation Southern Spear. » Pete Hegseth’s words released on X, Thursday 13 November, mean only one thing: the United States and Donald Trump have no intention of giving up the fight against drug trafficking in South America. The “Southern Spear”, according to the Secretary of Defense, is dedicated to “defending our homeland, eliminating narco-terrorists from our hemisphere and protecting our country from the drugs that are ravaging our population. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it. »
The announcement, the form of which remains unclear, comes as the American presidential administration has led an intense military campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific since August, in what it claims is an anti-drug operation. Half a dozen warships and air forces (mainly F-16 fighters) were mobilized.
The Minister of Defense did not specify what differentiated previous military actions that had been carried out from this new operation. However, according to CBS, senior military officials presented the US president with options for possible operations in Venezuela, including a ground attack, that could be included in the operation.
An aircraft carrier outside the continent
Other options are on the table. Last January, United States Naval Forces Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) and 4e The American fleet has launched a mission called “Southern Spear”. This includes deploying a series of robotic and autonomous systems (ARS) “to facilitate the detection and monitoring of illicit trade,” according to the press release.
Long-lived robotic surface ships, robotic interceptor ships, robotic aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing are envisioned. What’s behind Pete Hesgesth’s words? The US military’s most sophisticated aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, has arrived off the coast of the Latin American continent.
Over the past two months, the US military has carried out attacks on at least 21 ships suspected of transporting drugs from South America to America. At least 80 suspected human smugglers were killed in this attack. “My advice to foreign terrorist organizations is: don’t go to sea,” said Pete Hegseth. “If you are trafficking drugs to poison the American people and we know you are a member of a terrorist organization, a terrorist or a foreign smuggler, we will find you and we will kill you. »
Conflicting information
To find
Kangaroo today
Answer
The Venezuelan army on Tuesday announced a “massive” deployment across the country, fighting American “imperialism.” Venezuela accused Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext “to force regime change” in Caracas and confiscate its oil. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, spoke of “strong indications” of “extrajudicial” executions.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has given contradictory indications of his strategy, at times mentioning attacks on Venezuelan soil and counting the days of Nicolas Maduro, but also ruling out the idea of war.
