Pentagon launches operation against “narco-terrorists” in Western Hemisphere
The Pentagon has launched Operation Southern Spear, a new campaign aimed at dismantling transnational drug-trafficking networks across the Western Hemisphere. US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday: “The mission will defend our homeland, remove narco-terrorists from our hemisphere and protect our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighbourhood, and we will protect it."
The operation is being led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear alongside USSOUTHCOM, the US Military Command for Central America, South America and the Caribbean. As part of the effort, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has arrived in waters around Central and South America, where it will help “disrupt drug trafficking and disrupt transnational criminal organisations,” according to the Pentagon.
Since 2 September, the Trump administration has conducted 20 attacks in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, resulting in around 80 deaths, The New York Times reports.
Belgium faces growing pressures from drug trafficking
Belgium, too, is grappling with increasing challenges linked to international drug flows. Last month, an Antwerp investigating judge warned that the country risks sliding towards a “narco-state” if criminal networks continue to gain influence. The judge noted that the Port of Antwerp remains a key entry point for cocaine smuggled from Latin America, placing sustained pressure on police, customs and the justice system.
The judge called for stronger protections for magistrates and tighter controls on communications for detainees involved in organised crime. Belgian justice minister Annelies Verlinden described the concerns as “serious and worrying”, acknowledging the need for continued action.
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth © JEON HEON-KYUN / POOL / AFP
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