Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear, led by a joint task force and U.S. Southern Command, framing it as a mission to defend the homeland and target so‑called narco‑terrorists without detailing planned targets or locations.
- The Pentagon confirmed a 20th strike on a suspected smuggling boat, reporting 79 people killed to date as UN experts and European officials question the legal basis; Colombia suspended intelligence cooperation and Secretary Marco Rubio disputed reports that the UK had done the same.
- CBS reported that senior military leaders briefed President Trump on options that include strikes on Venezuelan land targets, though no decision has been announced.
- The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has reached the SOUTHCOM area, reinforcing a broader U.S. naval and air buildup positioned for counter‑narcotics operations with the capacity to project power ashore.
- Venezuela mobilized large military exercises and militias in response, condemning the U.S. presence as a threat to sovereignty, while Trump previously confirmed authorizing covert CIA operations in the country.