From The Hill: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday evening a new operation dubbed “Southern Spear” to quash “narco-terrorists” in the Western Hemisphere.
Hegseth said the mission is being led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) to defend the “Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
In a post on X, Hegseth announced:
President Trump ordered action — and the Department of War is delivering. 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. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it.
President Trump ordered action — and the Department of War is delivering.
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…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 13, 2025
Just prior to Hegseth’s announcement, the U.S. Southern Command had shared a photo of a military member in training, and wrote, “A U.S. Marine with @22nd_MEU conducts battery training aboard USS Iwo Jima. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the #SOUTHCOM mission, @DeptofWar-directed operations, and @POTUS’ priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”
#Readiness:
A U.S. Marine with @22nd_MEU conducts battery training aboard USS Iwo Jima. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the #SOUTHCOM mission, @DeptofWar-directed operations, and @POTUS‘ priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect… pic.twitter.com/kLaxdHcNKq— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) November 13, 2025
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