Confusion reigns as US declares new military operation ‘Southern Spear’

On 13 November, US secretary of war Peter Hegseth declared a new military operation. Typically dramatically named, America’s Operation Southern Spear is clearly aimed at Latin America. The US has been launching deadly strikes since September. The Trump regime claims it is fighting ‘narcoterrorism’. Critics say the mission is regime change in Venezuela.

Operation Southern Spear

Despite a sense that bombing would start immediately, what we actually have is confusion. Here is War Sec Hegseth’s rather grandiose X post:

President Trump ordered action — and the Department of War is delivering.

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…

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 13, 2025

But as some sharp-eyed commentators pointed out, something called Operation Southern Spear has already been underway since January:

Not to be that guy, but “Operation Southern Spear” was first announced ten months ago, a week after the inauguration. https://t.co/CrqD2UxMv4 pic.twitter.com/BoL3i0Tp5E

— Geoff Ramsey (@GRamsey_LatAm) November 13, 2025

So what does this even mean? Certainly the US has been massively building up forces in the area, as we’ve reported regularly.

If we were to speculate, we could point out that a semi-declaration of war might seem to the White House like it would keep the latest Jeffrey Epstein email release out of the news cycle.

Some people seem to think there is a link:

Looks like we’re going to war with Venezuela to distract from the Epstein files. pic.twitter.com/Rlgq1OOHBd

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 14, 2025

And this hasn’t been helped by the fact that Trump has both talked down and talked up land strikes on Venezuela:

He received a full updated briefing on targets this week, for example. Suggesting the mission was on:

New reporting: President Trump was briefed this week on options for military operations inside Venezuela as he continues to mull a path forward in the country, four sources told CNN. With my colleagues @ZcohenCNN and @Kevinliptakcnn https://t.co/2pJKtQ3Nem

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) November 13, 2025

Yet just under two weeks ago he talked strikes down on 60 Minutes: 

I don’t talk to a reporter about whether or not I’m going to strike.

But he did say Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro’s time was up. For his part, Maduro told CNN that he wanted peace in the region:

No more endless wars, no more unjust wars, no more Libya, no more Afghanistan.

CNN: What is your message to the people of the United States?

Maduro: No more endless wars, no more unjust wars, no more Libya, no more Afghanistan.

CNN: Do you have a message for Trump?

Maduro: My message is yes, peace. Yes, peace. pic.twitter.com/uvORF67hcC

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 14, 2025

Whatever Trump’s long-term aim is will be clearer when the National Security Strategy (NSS)  is published. Critics are predicting it will reorient US policy – including foreign policy – around a far-right ‘homeland’ concept. This will cover everything from immigration to spending to suppressing internal dissent.

Zeteo News said one federal staffer who’d seen a draft told them it looked like:

fascist internet trolls getting worked up about something they saw on Twitter.

Zeteo warned:

The draft of Trump’s new global strategic vision is loaded with sections that read as if they were conceived in one of White House policy architect Stephen Miller’s most hyper-nationalist wet dreams.

Featured image via UK Defence Journal