Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear to target so‑called narco‑terrorists under SOUTHCOM and a newly designated joint task force.
- A Pentagon official confirmed a strike in the Caribbean that killed four people, marking at least 20 vessels destroyed and about 80 deaths since September.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group moved into the region, concentrating nearly 15,000 U.S. personnel in the Caribbean in the largest buildup there in decades.
- Senior military leaders presented President Trump with options that include potential strikes in Venezuela, though no decision has been made.
- The U.K. and Colombia suspended intelligence sharing over legal concerns, France criticized the actions, the U.N. rights chief urged an inquiry, and Venezuela put roughly 200,000 troops on full readiness as a reported DOJ OLC opinion signaled protection for U.S. personnel.