“President Trump ordered action – and the Department of War is delivering,” Hegseth began in his message on X.\u00a0“Today, I\u2019m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR.”<\/strong><\/p>\n The message was not accompanied by any additional escalation or military action against Venezuela, other than the drone boat strikes of late which have become typical. Some 21 alleged drug boats have been blown out of the water off Latin America in operations stretching back to September.<\/p>\n “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 Pentagon chief described. He added “The Western Hemisphere is America\u2019s neighborhood \u2013 and we will protect it.”<\/p>\n Simultaneously in its own post on social media, SOUTHCOM announced that the\u00a0US Marines were conducting artillery training onboard the USS Iwo Jima<\/strong>\u00a0in the Caribbean in support of the commander-in-chief’s “priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”<\/p>\n The USS Iwo Jima is the type of amphibious assault ship which could theoretically land on Venezuela’s coast and deliver troops, though this is unlikely at this stage. Any Trump-ordered assault would likely stay at the level of aerial strikes on land targets.<\/p>\n Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday rejected criticism of US attacks on narco-vessels from G-7 allies. He emphasized that Europeans will not dictate how Washington chooses to defend US national security.<\/p>\n “I don\u2019t think that the European Union\u00a0gets to determine what international law is, and what they certainly don\u2019t\u00a0get to determine is how the United States defends its national security,” he\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0a reporter while fielding a question. “The United States is under attack from organized criminal narco-terrorists in our hemisphere, and the President is responding\u00a0in the defense of our country.”<\/p>\n #Readiness<\/a>: \u2014 U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom)\u00a0November 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n “I do find it interesting\u00a0that all of these countries want us to send and supply, for example, nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to defend Europe,\u00a0but when the United States positions aircraft carriers in our hemisphere where we live, somehow that\u2019s a problem<\/strong>,” Rubio added.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/inline-images\/sspear.jpg?itok=dnJcU4lm\")
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\nA U.S. Marine with\u00a0@22nd_MEU<\/a>\u00a0conducts battery training aboard USS Iwo Jima. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the\u00a0#SOUTHCOM<\/a>\u00a0mission,\u00a0@DeptofWar<\/a>-directed operations, and\u00a0@POTUS<\/a>‘ priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect\u2026\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/kLaxdHcNKq<\/a><\/p>\n