Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation named Southern Spear, which aims to combat drug terrorists in the Western Hemisphere. The USS Gerald R. Ford is already in the area of responsibility of Southern Command, covering Latin America and the Caribbean, joining eight other US Navy ships in the region.
US authorities report that over the past two months, their armed forces have been destroying boats in the Caribbean Sea that were allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Operations conducted in this area are officially explained as a fight against transnational crime and drug trafficking.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas have increased. Reports indicate that the White House has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela aimed at destabilizing Nicolás Maduro's regime. US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a reward of $50 million for information that would help arrest the Venezuelan president, who is accused of using terrorist groups to transport drugs to the US.
Newsweek previously reported that an American helicopter carrier with an escort is located 200 kilometers from La Orchila Island, where key air bases and radar complexes of Venezuela are situated. Miami Herald, in turn, speculated about the possibility of strikes against targets in Venezuela in the coming days.
Donald Trump, commenting on these events, stated that Maduro's regime days are "numbered," while clarifying that the US does not intend to engage in open confrontation with Caracas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called rumors of a military operation preparation false.
