The US expands military operations against "narco-terrorism" in Latin America

WashingtonThe US campaign of extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean and the Pacific has entered a new phase in the escalation of military tensions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday afternoon the start of Operation Southern Lance. The objective? "To expel the narco-terrorists from our hemisphere and protect our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people," he stated.

Hegseth did not provide further details about Operation Southern Lance, but it is understood to be a further step in the escalation of military tensions in the region, marked by constant attacks against alleged drug-trafficking boats. In total, 80 people have been killed by the US military in extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific, all under unproven accusations of being drug traffickers. The latest attack occurred this Thursday, again against a suspected drug-trafficking boat.

Southern Command is also involved in the Southern Lance operation, as Hegseth explains. In mid-October, the commander of Southern Command, Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, announced his retirement after a year in the position, just days after the fifth attack on a vessel leaving the Venezuelan coast.

Hegseth's announcement comes shortly after the arrival of the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, the most powerful in the U.S. fleet, in one of the areas under Southern Command's control. The ship joins a flotilla that has been deployed for more than two months in the waters surrounding Venezuela. Meanwhile, the Nicolás Maduro regime has repeatedly denounced military fighter jets flying very close to its airspace.

What began as a campaign of military pressure in Venezuela has also escalated in Colombia after Colombian President Gustavo Petro was one of the first leaders to openly denounce Washington's actions. Petro emphasized that One of the men killed in one of the September military operations against a suspected drug-running boat was a Colombian fisherman. Alejandro Carranza, 40. Carranza's family has denied the White House's accusations. "Why did they take his life like that?" his wife, Katerine Hernández, lamented to AFP.

International law expert Mary Ellen O'Connell explained to the ARA how the initial operations in September constituted a violation of international law. "There is no legal right to use force, much less a missile attack against people suspected of crimes," she explained.

The Trump administration has been justifying the attacks under the president's executive order designation of certain cartels as "terrorist groups." But the government has yet to cite any international authority to justify actions that are only justifiable within the framework of a declared war. In a secret notification to Congress, which had requested explanations about the initial attacks in September, the Trump administration said it was now in an "armed conflict" against drug trafficking. Once again, the president is operating on vague and loose concepts to have free rein in his maneuvers and avoid having to point the finger at a specific country.

In a roundtable discussion about the cartels last October, Trump was quite explicit about his intentions and said he didn't believe it was necessary to ask Congress for a declaration of war. Only the legislature can authorize entry into a military conflict, according to the Constitution. "I don't think we necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we'll just kill the people who bring drugs into our country. Okay? We'll kill them," the tycoon said.

Washington wants to revive the backyard doctrine to regain influence over Latin America after China has gained a lot of ground in recent yearsIt's also a pressure campaign against the Maduro regime, and it seems now also against Petro's leftist government. This week began with a publication in the magazine Change as a result of the analysis of a photograph taken in the Oval Office On October 21, a fake image surfaced showing Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair holding a folder containing photographs of Petro and Maduro wearing orange prison frogs. Blair is also holding a memo from Colombian Senator Bernie Moreno, titled "Trump Doctrine." Moreno is known for his opposition to Petro. The fake image, likely created with artificial intelligence, has escalated the diplomatic conflict between the two countries.