U.S. Southern Command withholds data on Operation Southern Spear

The Trump administration says maritime drug‑boat strikes under Operation Southern Spear have cut trafficking by up to 98%, but U.S. Southern Command has declined to release the internal metrics used to assess the campaign’s effectiveness, citing security concerns. Since September, the operation has involved 66 strikes that have killed 221 people, and the Department of Defense has obligated at least $820.9 million through June 30. Independent analysts estimate daily costs of about $31 million plus $2.8 million in unbudgeted expenses, with total spending possibly reaching $3 billion, a figure that also includes Operation Absolute Resolve, which captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Gen. Francis Donovan, head of Southern Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, where Sen. Mark Kelly pressed for evidence that the strikes are degrading cartel operations rather than merely destroying low‑level assets. Donovan said the command cannot provide specific effectiveness measures but pointed to observed changes in traffickers’ patterns, adding that “the boat strikes aren’t the answer.”