Name: Defense Secretary Hegseth announces Operation Southern Spear
Uploaded: 2025-11-14T00:15:42.982Z
Duration: 2 min 40 s
Description: Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, sources tell CBS News that senior military officials have presented President Trump with options for potential operations in the South American country.

Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, sources tell CBS News that senior military officials have presented President Trump with options for potential operations in the South American country.

Caracas

Amid escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, senior U.S. military officials have presented President Trump with options for potential operations in Venezuela, including possible land strikes. The ongoing military mission, now named Operation Southern Spear, has so far involved at least 20 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

The Pentagon states that the buildup of U.S. forces in the region, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and approximately 15,000 troops, is aimed at countering drug cartels. While no final decision has been made regarding further escalation, these actions are seen as part of a broader pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Defense Secretary Hegseth announces 'Operation Southern Spear'

AMID RISING TENSIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND VENEZUELA, SOURCES TELL CBS NEWS SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE PRESENTED PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH OPTIONS FOR POTENTIAL OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY. SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE WHITE HOUSE MEETINGS SAY THE LIST INCLUDES STRIKES ON LAND IN THE COMING DAYS. HOWEVER, NO FINAL DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. THE PENTAGON DECLINED TO COMMENT, AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS NOT YET RESPONDED. CBS NEWS PENTAGON REPORTER ELEANOR WATSON JOINS US NOW. ELEANOR, WHAT MORE DO WE KNOW? Well, as you said, Lindsey, we reported today that yesterday at the White House, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Koehn presented the president with options on Venezuela, including striking targets on land. That would be a shift. So far, the military has been striking alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific with at least 20 strikes so far in a mission that the secretary actually gave a name to today, calling it Operation Southern Spear. A meeting yesterday about options going forward comes as the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its escort ships are headed to join the growing armada already off of Venezuela. The Ford and its carrier strike group add not only fighter jets, but also dozens of Tomahawk missiles that have the range to strike targets inside Venezuela. If the president gives the order to do that, that would be a major escalation, making good on the threats he's made that the strikes against drug boats, those strikes, could be just the beginning. Has the administration explained what their goals would be in targeting sites within Venezuela? The Pentagon's stated reason for the buildup in the Caribbean is to go after drug cartels, to counter narcotics. But President Trump told Noro O'Donnell on 60 Minutes that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, his days as president, are numbered. The strikes against the alleged drug boats, which started with targeting boats allegedly from Venezuela, along with the now roughly 15,000 U.S. troops in the region, are at the very least a pressure campaign against Maduro. If that campaign turns into military action, the U.S. has enough forces there to conduct airstrikes, but the result of anything the U.S. tries to do could depend. If the goal is to weaken drug cartels, the military could strike at whack-a-mole strikes against drug cartel facilities in a similar way that it did against the Houthis earlier in the Trump administration. If the goal is to install a government more friendly to the U.S., then that could take more than just military force. Eleanor Watson, thank you.

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