US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a new military taskforce, Operation Southern Spear, to combat drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere, amid heightened tensions with Venezuela. The initiative includes naval strikes on alleged cartel vessels, with the US having destroyed over 20 boats and killed an estimated 80 people since September. Hegseth emphasized the threat posed by ‘narco-terrorists’ and highlighted the need to protect America’s neighborhood. However, the operation reportedly involves planning for potential land strikes in Venezuela, which the Maduro government denies involvement in drug trafficking. Maduro warned the US against starting a ‘crazy war,’ accusing Trump of using the cartels as a pretext to try to topple his government. The US has imposed significant sanctions on Venezuela during Trump’s first term, including a $50 million bounty on Maduro. The Trump administration has also deployed a naval armada, including the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, to the region, escalating the military standoff.