Pentagon intensifies Operation Southern Spear against drug traffickers

The Pentagon has released images of vessels suspected of transporting drugs and reaffirmed its strategy to pursue and kill traffickers who pose a threat to the United States. Under Operation Southern Spear, the U.S. military is targeting drug networks and what officials describe as ‘dangerous narcoterrorists.’

Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson stated that the message to trafficking groups remains unchanged: those trafficking illicit drugs that threaten the American people will be ‘hunted, found, and killed.’ The operation has reportedly conducted 67 attacks since its first strike on September 2, 2025. One recent incident on August 25 involved an attack on a speedboat in the Caribbean that resulted in the deaths of four suspected traffickers.

The Trump administration classifies these confrontations with Latin American cartels as an ‘armed conflict.’ While Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras have agreed to joint operations, Guatemala has denied such an agreement. Additionally, U.S.-participating missions have commenced in Ecuador as of March 2026.