Trump administration announces operation ‘Lança do Sul’ under the allegation of combating drug trafficking

Meet the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, sent by Trump to the Caribbean The US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, announced this Thursday (13) a military operation called ‘Spear of the South’, which would aim to combat what he called “narco-terrorists” and protect the country from drugs. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The exact location was not announced, but the operation will be carried out with the Southern Military Command, which carries out operations in the Caribbean and Latin America. The US has intensified the presence of warships and planes near the coast of Venezuela, in a move that Nicolás Maduro’s government in Caracas considers preparatory to an eventual invasion. Initial plugin text “Today, I am announcing Operation Southern Spear,” said Hegseth, in a post on social media site US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS In January, Southern Command had announced an operation also called Southern Spear in a statement on its website. The text refers to the implementation of “autonomous robotic systems to support the detection and monitoring of illicit trafficking”. War Arsenal This week, the US Marina announced that the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has arrived in the Latin American area of ​​operations. According to the military, the ship will support operations to “dismantle transnational criminal organizations”. The vessels and aircraft in the USS Gerald Ford strike group add to the already robust United States military presence in the Caribbean Sea, consisting of warships, fighter jets, special operations helicopters and bomber planes. In the last two months, the US has attacked more than 20 vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific, in actions that left more than 70 people dead. According to the American command, the boats belonged to narco-terrorist organizations. Image shows US President Donald Trump (L) in Washington, DC, on July 9, 2025, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (R), in Caracas, on July 31, 2024. AFP/Jim Watson The attacks began in September, days after the US doubled the reward to $50 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and launched a military operation against drug trafficking in the Caribbean. The American government accuses Maduro of leading the Cartel de los Soles, a group classified as an international terrorist organization. In this context, US authorities claim that the Venezuelan president can be considered a legitimate target in actions against cartels. “The Atlantic” magazine reported that Maduro would be willing to negotiate his departure from power, as long as he received amnesty and security guarantees to live in exile.

Source link