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According to the Southern Command statement, the vessels were detected by aerial radars during a reconnaissance mission and later intercepted when they ignored orders to stop. The preliminary report indicates that three people died in the clashes, while four others were detained and transferred to a US ship for interrogation. The authorities are still investigating the nationality of those involved and the exact origin of the seized drugs, although it is suspected that it came from clandestine laboratories on the border between Colombia and Venezuela.
Operation Southern Spear, launched in 2023, has been one of Washington’s main military instruments to stop illegal maritime trafficking in Latin America. According to figures published by the Department of Defense, in the last two years more than 250 tons of cocaine have been intercepted and hundreds of people linked to cartels in the region have been arrested. However, human rights organizations and some Latin American governments have expressed concern about the extraterritorial nature of these actions and the risks they represent for coastal communities and local fishermen.
On Dec. 30, at the direction of @Secwar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted kinetic strikes against three narco-trafficking vessels traveling as a convoy. These vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence… pic.twitter.com/NHRNIzcrFS
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 31, 2025
In the case of Venezuela, diplomatic tensions have intensified. The Caracas government has repeatedly denounced that US military incursions into nearby waters constitute a violation of its sovereignty and has accused Washington of using the anti-drug fight as a pretext to put political pressure on President Nicolás Maduro. For its part, the White House maintains that the objective of the mission is to “protect hemispheric security” and cut off drug trafficking routes that finance criminal organizations and illegal armed groups.
Regional security experts point out that the increase in these operations reflects a change in focus in US strategy, which now combines military actions, cooperation with local forces and the intensive use of satellite intelligence. Even so, they warn that without development policies and demand reduction in consumer countries, the problem of drug trafficking will hardly diminish.
Meanwhile, on the coasts of the Caribbean and northern South America, tension continues to grow. Fishermen and local residents fear being caught in the middle of the operations, and governments like Colombia’s seek to balance collaboration with the United States with the need to maintain regional stability.