Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the named mission on X, saying Joint Task Force Southern Spear under U.S. Southern Command will lead it, while offering no details on targets or locations.
- The Pentagon confirmed a 20th attack this week on an alleged smuggling boat, reporting a cumulative 79 people killed as critics note the U.S. has not presented evidence the vessels carried drugs or a clear legal basis.
- The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has arrived in the region as the U.S. expands naval and air deployments across Caribbean and eastern Pacific waters.
- CBS reports that senior military leaders presented Trump with updated options for possible operations against Venezuela, including land strikes, though no decision has been announced.
- Venezuela has mobilized for large-scale exercises and denounced the U.S. buildup, while the UN human-rights chief and EU figures criticize the campaign and Colombia has suspended security cooperation with U.S. intelligence.