US announces military operation to counter drug trafficking in Western Hemisphere

FILE PHOTO: Trump and Hegseth address U.S. senior military leaders at Quantico

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Quantico, Virginia, U.S., September 30, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Source: Pool

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced a U.S. military operation that he said would target "narco-terrorists" in the Western Hemisphere.

"Today, I’m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR. Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people," Hegseth said in a post on X.

The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is the U.S. military's combatant command that encompasses 31 countries through South and Central America and the Caribbean.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters