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Operation Southern Spear

Ongoing US military anti-drug trafficking campaign since 2025BelligerentsShield of the Americas:United StatesArgentinaDominican RepublicEcuadorTrinidad and TobagoEl SalvadorColombia(since August 2026)Venezuelan oppositionUnited KingdomVenezuela(after Operation Absolute Resolve, disputed)ALBA-TCP:VenezuelaCartel of the Suns(alleged by the US)CubaColombia(alleged by the US, until August 2026)Alleged drug traffickersTren de AraguaUC-ELN(alleged by the US)FARC dissidents (including Comandos de la Frontera) (alleged by the US and Ecuador)Commanders and leadersDonald TrumpMarco RubioPete HegsethKristi NoemMarkwayne MullinDan CaineFrank M. BradleyAlvin HolseyEvan PettusFrancis DonovanJohn RatcliffeMaría Corina MachadoEdmundo GonzálezLuis AbinaderKamla Persad-BissessarNayib BukeleJavier MileiAbelardo de la EspriellaDelcy Rodríguez (disputed)Nicolás Maduro (POW)Delcy RodríguezJorge RodríguezVladimir PadrinoDiosdado CabelloAlex Saab Miguel Díaz-CanelSalvador Valdés MesaManuel Marrero CruzEsteban Lazo HernándezBruno Rodríguez ParrillaÁlvaro López MieraRaúl CastroNiño Guerrero XUnits involvedUnited States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) US NavyFourth Fleet US Marine Corps22nd MEU (SOC)US Army1st SFOD-D160th SOAR(A)US Air ForceUS Coast GuardMSRTUS Department of JusticeFBIHostage Rescue TeamDEAPuerto Rico National GuardCIABolivarian National Armed ForcesBolivarian Army of VenezuelaBolivarian Militia of VenezuelaSimón Bolívar Internationalist BrigadesCuban Revolutionary Armed ForcesStrength ~15,000 troops1 carrier strike group, 6 destroyers, 1 amphibious assault ship, 2 amphibious transport docks, 1 guided missile cruiser, 1 national security cutter, 1 nuclear-powered attack submarine, 150+ aircraft 200,000 troops 4,500,000 militia (Venezuelan claim) 22,000–25,000 medics and military personnel (2019 estimate)Casualties and losses 1 killed (non-combat)Operation Absolute Resolve: 7 wounded 1 helicopter damaged 227 killed in strikes on small vessels, and 3 captured in strikes on vessels 10 oil tankers boarded or seizedSeveral allegedly killed including Niño Guerrero in land strikes in Venezuela and EcuadorOperation Absolute Resolve:2 captured 2 civilians and at least 23 military personnel killed 32 Cubans killedOne Beechcraft Baron destroyedOne Buk-M2E destroyedOperation Southern Spear is a United States military and surveillance campaign launched in 2025 by the administration of US president Donald Trump with the declared aims of "detecting, disrupting, and degrading transnational criminal and illicit maritime networks".

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