- The U.S. military, under "Operation Southern Spear," conducted lethal strikes in the Eastern Pacific, destroying two drug-smuggling boats and killing five alleged "narco-terrorists."
- This action is part of a major escalation, with at least 26 similar engagements since September 2024 that have killed over 99 individuals, marking a sharp increase in military force against drug networks.
- The strategy is possible because the U.S has designated powerful cartels (like Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation) and gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, legally framing drug trafficking as a national security threat.
- U.S. officials, led by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, defend the strikes as lawful and necessary, claiming that they are precisely targeted to dismantle networks that bring deadly drugs like fentanyl into American communities.
- This represents a significant shift in the war on drugs, moving more responsibility to the Pentagon for direct military action in international waters against organizations it links to adversaries like Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro.
In a decisive move against transnational drug networks, U.S. military forces have successfully intercepted and eliminated two smuggling vessels in the Eastern Pacific this week, neutralizing five alleged narco-terrorists.
The operation marks the latest tactical action under the ongoing and expanding "Operation Southern Spear," a military-led initiative targeting organizations deemed a direct threat to American national security.
According to U.S. Southern Command, the strikes were conducted by the Joint Task Force Southern Spear in international waters along a known narco-trafficking route. The targeted boats were confirmed to be operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations engaged in smuggling operations.
Intelligence indicated that the vessels were actively involved in transporting illicit narcotics, prompting the lethal action. Three individuals aboard the first vessel and two on the second were killed. Meanwhile, no U.S. personnel were harmed in the engagement.
The operation, directed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, falls under the legal and strategic umbrella of Operation Southern Spear. This initiative gained its foundational authority earlier this year when the administration designated several powerful cartels and criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.
This list includes major Mexican cartels such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, as well as groups like Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and El Salvador's MS-13. This critical designation formally categorizes drug trafficking as a national security threat, providing a framework for the U.S. military to confront these networks directly.
Trump's new war on cartels goes LETHAL
The recent strikes are part of a broader, sustained campaign. Since September, U.S. forces have conducted at least 26 similar engagements in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific regions. These operations have reportedly led to the deaths of more than 99 individuals identified by officials as confirmed narco-terrorists.
The pace of these actions signals a committed, hardline approach to disrupting the flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl, which the administration has also classified as a weapon of mass destruction.
The strategy has garnered support from officials who view it as a lawful and necessary defense of American communities from the scourge of illicit narcotics. They argue that the operations are precisely targeted based on solid intelligence, aiming to dismantle the logistical chains of organizations that poison and kill thousands of Americans annually.
Proponents emphasize that the mission is focused solely on those groups formally designated as terrorist entities, with operations meticulously planned to mitigate risk.
This military-focused strategy represents a significant evolution in the nation's long-standing war on drugs, shifting more responsibility and firepower to the Pentagon in certain international domains. As Operation Southern Spear continues to develop, its actions in the maritime corridors of the Western Hemisphere underscore a determined commitment to target and dismantle narco-terrorist networks wherever they operate.
Watch Jesse Watters discussing the war on narco-terrorism in this clip from his Fox News program "Jesse Watters Primetime."
This video is from the Son of the Republic channel on Brighteon.com.
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