The United States launched Operation Southern Spear, a major military and surveillance campaign targeting Latin American drug-trafficking networks. Using robotic air and sea systems, the mission, ordered by President Trump and led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear, operates from Naval Station Mayport, Florida. The deployment includes the USS Gerald R. Ford and more than a dozen vessels, marking one of the largest unmanned system operations in the region. While officials stress counter-narcotics goals, reports of strikes, Venezuelan troop mobilization, and potential broader interventions raise concerns the campaign could escalate, reshaping security dynamics across the Western Hemisphere.
