The United States is stepping up its war on narco-terrorism with a new Caribbean military campaign that’s rattling global diplomats — but not its leaders.
According to the Daily Mail, called "Operation Southern Spear," the mission was announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and has already resulted in the deaths of over 70 alleged cartel operatives across 19 precision strikes since early September.
Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear in coordination with U.S. Southern Command, this military escalation targets drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, areas long exploited by transnational criminal organizations.
Trump Orders Bold Action At Sea
Two of the strikes came under direct orders from President Trump and resulted in the elimination of six individuals on vessels allegedly smuggling narcotics through international waters. No U.S. personnel were injured in the operations, which took place under the banner of regional security and homeland defense.
“President Trump ordered action — and the Department of War is delivering,” Hegseth declared on social media while unveiling the operation. He added that the campaign “removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
According to the Pentagon, both Sunday strikes were carried out on vessels with ties to illicit trafficking networks. Each carried three passengers — none survived. Hegseth maintained that the targets were in international waters and posed a threat to U.S. national security.
Global Backlash From European Leaders
France, however, was not impressed. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot denounced the military operations, calling them a breach of international law and raising concerns over French territories in the Caribbean where over a million citizens live. "We have observed with concern the military operations in the Caribbean region," Barrot said, arguing that the legality of American strikes in the region is questionable. That critique didn’t sit well with U.S. officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded during the G7 summit, defending the nation's right to respond to what he described as an organized attack from cartel terrorists.
Rubio Defends U.S. Strategy Against Cartels
“The United States is under attack from organized criminal narco-terrorists in our hemisphere,” Rubio said, pushing back on European objections. “The president is responding in the defense of our country.” Rubio criticized what he saw as European hypocrisy, pointing out that while European nations want the U.S. to supply defense assets for their own backyard, they object when the United States defends its own hemisphere. “I do find it interesting that all these countries want us to send and supply, for example, nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to defend Europe,” he added, “but when the United States positions aircraft carriers in our hemisphere, somehow, that's a problem.”
Domestic Democrats Demand Transparency On Strikes
Back at home, however, Democrats in the Senate aren’t letting the administration off the hook that easily. Critics are demanding answers about whether the president's actions meet legal standards and are calling for details on which groups are being targeted and under what authority.
In a formal letter addressed to Secretary Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Secretary Hegseth, Senate Democrats requested all legal opinions justifying the strikes, as well as the complete list of terrorist groups that have been authorized as military targets. So far, the Pentagon hasn’t released public evidence confirming the presence of drugs on the destroyed vessels or detailing the threat levels of those killed. That silence is feeding concern among civil liberties groups and international observers alike.
Trump Team Uses Terror Designation For Cartels
The Trump administration has categorized major Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations and invoked war-on-terror era logic to justify its actions, arguing that traditional criminal enforcement isn’t enough to protect the homeland from transnational threats.
Washington has also boosted military pressure on Venezuela, citing the Maduro regime’s alleged complicity in trafficking operations. This renewed focus aims to neutralize what officials call a hemispheric threat to American citizens and allies. “The Western Hemisphere is America's neighborhood – and we will protect it,” Hegseth stated, framing the military moves as both defensive and necessary to preserve national sovereignty in a volatile region.
Mixed Reactions Shape The Hemispheric Stakes
Predictably, the progressive press and foreign policy elite are quick to call these actions heavy-handed. But the reality is clear: the administration is responding to a deadly and systemic threat with clarity and conviction.
While critics label the military actions as extrajudicial, supporters argue that decisive action beats bureaucratic dithering when it comes to stopping cartel-sponsored chaos that fuels America’s drug crisis. Regardless of partisan noise or international grumbling, the Trump administration appears unwavering: it sees narco-trafficking not as a courtroom dilemma, but as an armed conflict. And in conflicts, strength matters.
