America faces a silent but deadly assault from drug cartels, and the U.S. Navy is stepping up with a powerful response. The stakes couldn't be higher as lives are lost daily to this insidious threat.
According to Fox News, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan has labeled the narcotics flood an outright attack on the nation, with Operation Southern Spear deploying major assets like the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to combat it.
Phelan, speaking on "My View with Lara Trump," framed the crisis in stark terms, saying, "Drugs kill more Americans than we've ever lost in wars." Such a statement demands attention, revealing a battlefield not of bullets but of poison crossing our borders unchecked.
Operation Southern Spear Flexes Naval Muscle
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, boasting over 70 aircraft across nine carrier air wings and 11 ships, leads this charge. Marines, Coast Guard, and Department of Homeland Security forces bolster the effort, forming a united front against narco-traffickers.
Phelan's words carry weight when he describes the military's core mission: "The military's job is to defend the homeland... that's exactly what we're doing, and we're using our best assets to defend the homeland." Critics calling this deployment excessive miss the point; when cartels wield death as a weapon, half-measures won't cut it.
This operation isn't just a show of force; it's a calculated strike at the heart of a trade killing Americans by the thousands. A recent U.S. military drone strike in the Eastern Pacific, ordered by President Trump, destroyed a vessel and eliminated three suspected narco-terrorists, proving intent matches action.
Shipbuilding Push Signals Long-Term Resolve
Beyond immediate action, President Trump drives a broader vision to rebuild America's naval might through aggressive shipbuilding. Phelan noted, "The president is very focused on shipbuilding... he's committed to it and it's really important," highlighting a personal push from the top.
This isn't mere rhetoric; it's a response to a hollowed-out manufacturing base that must be revived. Phelan aims to recruit over 50,000 new workers for shipyards, shifting focus from coding to hands-on skills for the next decade.
Expanding existing yards and opening new ones signals a commitment to self-reliance. A nation that can't build its own defenses risks outsourcing its security, a gamble no sensible policy can afford.
China's Shadow Looms Over Caribbean Waters
Phelan also pointed to China's growing naval presence as a parallel concern, noting that their fleet outnumbers America's in sheer numbers of ships. Yet he clarified, "We kind of look at tonnage and capability, so it's a little bit different," suggesting raw numbers don't tell the full story of power projection.
Still, China's ambition to dominate as a world power isn't idle chatter. American carriers like the Ford and Arleigh Burke destroyers stand as bulwarks, ensuring our influence holds firm in contested waters near Venezuela.
Operation Southern Spear thus serves a dual purpose: crushing drug trafficking while reminding peer competitors like China that U.S. resolve remains unshakable. Ignoring either threat would be a strategic blunder of historic proportions.
A Vision for Deterrence and Safety
Phelan's ultimate goal is sobering yet clear: "to have zero caskets with an American flag on it." Deterrence, backed by cutting-edge equipment and unwavering investment, forms the backbone of this mission to avoid conflict altogether.
He reassures the public with confidence in the Navy and Marine Corps as "the best fighting force in the world." Continuous funding and modernization, from AI to hypersonics, ensure that strength endures against evolving dangers.
This operation, paired with a renewed industrial spirit, sends a message that America will protect its people from threats both visible and hidden. Drug cartels and foreign rivals alike should take note: we're not just reacting, we're rebuilding to outlast any challenge.
