Pentagon Announces New Military Campaign Aimed at Taking Out “Narco-Terrorists,” Maduro Warns US Against Creating Another “Forever War”

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The Pentagon has officially confirmed the launch of Operation Southern Spear, a military campaign aimed at dismantling “narco-terrorist” networks in the Western Hemisphere.

Getting into it: The announcement, made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, described the operation as a full-scale regional effort to secure the US homeland from the flow of deadly drugs and neutralize transnational criminal threats. Hegseth stated that Operation Southern Spear will be led jointly by US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and a newly formed Joint Task Force designed to coordinate military efforts across Central and South America and the Caribbean. He emphasized that the operation is not just about interdiction at sea, but also about removing what he called “narco-terrorists from our hemisphere.” He added, “The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood — and we will protect it.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visits Fort Bliss, Texas and Joint Task Force North to see the efforts military men and women are undertaking in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to secure the southern border, Feb. 3, 2025. U.S. Northern Command is working with the Department of Homeland Security to augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection along the southern border with additional military forces. This initial deployment of 1,600 active-duty personnel brings the total military Title 10 forces along the border to nearly 4,000 personnel. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Andrew R. Sveen)

The operation comes as the US dramatically ramps up its military presence near Venezuela, a country at the heart of rising tensions. In the last few months, the Pentagon has deployed more than nine warships to the region, including the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier. The carrier strike group brings with it over 4,000 sailors, F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, and other assets, resulting in one of the largest US military buildups in Latin America in decades.

Amid all of this, Trump has publicly stated that he “sort of made up [his] mind” on possible land-based operations in Venezuela, raising speculation that the US is preparing for broader military action.

Maduro on the other hand is warning that the US is on the brink of launching a destabilizing war in South America. Speaking at a pro-government rally, Maduro urged Washington to choose peace, invoking the legacies of US military overreach in Afghanistan and Libya. “No more forever wars. No more unjust wars,” he said, while also assuring Venezuelans that the country is ready to defend itself. In anticipation of a possible attack, Maduro has reportedly ordered the deployment of 200,000 troops and activated guerrilla-style defense strategies across more than 280 locations in the country.