Senior U.S. military officials, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, briefed President Donald Trump on potential military strikes in Venezuela in the coming days, according to CBS News.
Sources say the U.S. intelligence community also provided information for the plans and added that the White House has not yet made a decision on the matter.
The consultations come after intensified U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, which the U.S. says have killed at least 76 people since the operation began in September. The most recent strikes, on November 10, targeted two vessels in the eastern Pacific, killing six people.
The briefing coincided with the USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group’s arrival in the Caribbean. About 10,000 U.S. troops, supported by warships, submarines, and fighter jets, were already deployed to the region.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Hegseth announced that the U.S. military is expanding its anti-drug campaign in the Caribbean, renaming the operation “Operation Southern Spear.”
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
“This mission defends our homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our hemisphere, and secures our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The western hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it,” Hegseth said, without providing further details.
