U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced "Operation Southern Spear" in the Western Hemisphere as U.S. strikes continue in the region near Colombia and Venezuela. CBS News' Eleanor Watson reports.

President Trump has issued a new military directive named Operation Southern Spear, targeting drug smuggling operations originating from the Southern Hemisphere. Defense Secretary Pete Hexett announced the operation, which has already resulted in at least 20 strikes on 21 vessels and the deaths of at least 80 alleged smugglers.

The US has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and additional forces, totaling around 15,000 personnel. The administration is also considering possible military action inside Venezuela, marking the largest regional buildup since the Cold War.

Hegseth announces 'Operation Southern Spear'

There is a new military order from President Trump. It is called Operation Southern Spear. And the mission is part of a larger promise by the Trump administration to crack down on drugs coming from the Southern Hemisphere. Defense Secretary Pete Hexett made the announcement, but didn't give specific details. Now, all of this comes as sources tell CBS News that the US is weighing possible military action outside Venezuela. The president has already been presented with those potential military plans, and they include strikes on land. In just the last two months, the US military has conducted strikes against at least 21 vessels. But there have been 20 strikes so far, with one operation late last month targeting two boats. At least 80 alleged smugglers have been killed in those strikes. Two survived and were sent back to their home countries. Let's go to CBS News Pentagon reporter Eleanor Watson. Ellie, what else did Secretary Hexett say about this operation? Well, Secretary of Defense Pete Hexett, in a tweet, officially named the US military presence in Latin America, calling it Operation Southern Spear to, quote, remove narco-terrorists from our hemisphere. That is the type of war language characteristic of the Trump administration when it comes to alleged drug smugglers, which is a shift from previous administrations who have largely considered the smugglers as criminals, not combatants. So far since September, the US military, as you mentioned, has conducted at least 20 strikes on 21 alleged vessels, killing at least 80 people. Going forward, as part of this operation, CBS reported that earlier this week, the president was briefed on options, potential options, on Venezuela by the Secretary of Defense Pete Hexett and the top US military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Cain. And those options included strikes inside Venezuela. If the president gives the order for that option, that would be a major escalation, making good on his threats that those strikes against boats are just the beginning. So the US has ramped up military presence in the region. We know that. In what ways are we seeing an increase when it comes to either troops or even weapons? Mugo, the meeting earlier this week came as the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its three escort destroyers were making their way to join the growing footprint already off of Venezuela. Already, there are Marine F-35s on Puerto Rico, as well as several destroyers in the Caribbean Sea. With the addition of the Ford Carrier Strike Group, there will be about 15,000 US forces in the Caribbean, the largest buildup in that region since, really, the Cold War. OK. Eleanor Watson, thank you so much for joining us today.

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