Particle.news
Download on the App Store
21 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

U.S. Launches 'Southern Spear' as Gerald R. Ford Carrier Group Expands Caribbean Operation

Billed as an anti‑narcotics mission under Southcom, the push follows roughly 20 lethal boat strikes, drawing legal warnings from the U.N. and European officials.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation on X, saying it aims to remove “narcoterrorists” from the Western Hemisphere and protect the U.S. from drug trafficking.
  • The USS Gerald R. Ford strike group is operating in the region, with the Navy releasing new photos showing the carrier and escorts conducting flights with F‑18s and a B‑52.
  • U.S. forces have destroyed about 20 small vessels since September, with approximately 80 reported deaths; European officials say the actions breach international law, a claim Washington disputes.
  • Venezuela has activated nationwide military exercises and enacted a new defense command law, while Nicolás Maduro publicly appealed for peace in a CNN interview.
  • Trinidad and Tobago scheduled joint drills with U.S. forces for Nov. 16–21, and a new Ipsos/Reuters poll found 29% of Americans support using the military to kill suspected traffickers without trial.