Overview
- Joint Task Force Southern Spear, led by U.S. Southern Command, is announced as a new mission to counter what Washington labels narco‑terror groups, with reporting pointing to heavy use of unmanned air and maritime systems and roughly 10,000 U.S. personnel positioned across the region.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group has moved into the southern Caribbean, and two U.S. warships were reported operating about 50 kilometers off the Venezuelan coast near Caracas.
- Since August, U.S. forces have carried out around twenty strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, with media tallies citing roughly 75–80 deaths tied to networks including Tren de Aragua and the Cartel de los Soles.
- U.S. media report that senior officials briefed President Trump on options that could extend to targeted strikes inside Venezuela, control of oil infrastructure, or limited ground operations, though no final authorization has been confirmed.
- Venezuela has mobilized troops and staged large exercises as President Nicolás Maduro vows to resist foreign intervention, and Russia has condemned U.S. actions and pledged support to Caracas, heightening regional tensions.