Operation Southern Spear Hits 1-Year Mark: What to Know

The U.S. military has conducted strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels as part of Operation Southern Spear since September 2025. These actions, occurring in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, are justified by the Trump administration’s designation of several Western Hemisphere drug cartels as terrorist organizations. A U.S. official stated that these foreign terrorist organizations are responsible for more American deaths than any other recent adversary.

• The U.S. military has been conducting attacks on suspected drug-trafficking vessels since September 2025 as part of Operation Southern Spear.
• These strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
• The Trump administration justifies these lethal strikes by designating drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere as terrorist organizations.
• A U.S. official claims these organizations are responsible for more American deaths than any other recent adversary.