Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation, dubbed Southern Spear, as a counter-narcotics mission led by a joint task force under US Southern Command without detailing targets or locations.
- The Pentagon confirmed a 20th attack on a suspected smuggling vessel this week, bringing the reported death toll from the series to 79, while offering no public evidence or legal authorization beyond self-defense claims.
- The nuclear aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has reached the US Southern Command area of operations, reinforcing a broader US maritime presence in the Caribbean near Venezuela.
- Caracas has staged large-scale drills under Plan Independencia 200, saying nearly 200,000 personnel took part, and its defense minister condemned the US posture as an imperial threat.
- CBS reports that senior US military officials presented President Trump with possible options for operations against Venezuela, including potential land strikes, with no decision announced.