On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reiterated the military offensive against groups labeled by Washington as narcoterrorists, stating emphatically, “There are no fishing rods, no fishermen, no fishing boats—only drug traffickers and narcoterrorists.”
This declaration was made during an event at the Mar-a-Lago complex in Palm Beach, Florida, where Hegseth was present alongside President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Every strike saves American lives,” Hegseth stressed, advocating for the policy of preemptive strikes and the intensification of Operation Southern Spear, a mission conducted in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.
These remarks come after weeks of escalated military campaigns initiated by Trump against what Washington terms “transnational narcoterrorist organizations,” which are directly targeting Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela.
On November 29, Hegseth had already publicly defended the “effectiveness and lethality” of these strikes, following reports by The Washington Post and CNN alleging executions of survivors during an operation off the Venezuelan coast.
At that time, the Secretary of Defense accused the media of “fabricating stories to discredit the military” and reaffirmed that the operations “comply with both U.S. and international law.”
On December 17, the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed another lethal kinetic strike in the eastern Pacific, executed under Hegseth’s direct orders. Four men were killed when a vessel allegedly operated by drug traffickers was destroyed in international waters as part of this mission.
The Pentagon maintains that the targets are part of drug and arms trafficking networks operating between Central and South America, routes where cartel activities allied with Caracas have also been identified.
Launched in September 2025, Operation Southern Spear has deployed warships, fighter jets, and autonomous drones in the Caribbean and Pacific, involving thousands of personnel to date.
Understanding the U.S. Military's Stance on Narcoterrorism
What is the primary objective of Operation Southern Spear?
The primary goal of Operation Southern Spear is to combat narcoterrorist organizations by deploying military resources in the Caribbean and Pacific to dismantle drug and arms trafficking networks.
How does the U.S. justify its strikes on alleged narcoterrorist operations?
The U.S. argues that these strikes are necessary for national security, asserting that they save American lives and comply with both national and international laws.
Why does the U.S. target the regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela?
The U.S. targets Nicolás Maduro's regime because it is believed to be involved in supporting and facilitating narcoterrorist activities, posing a threat to regional and international security.