Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by Democracy Now on November 14, 2025.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced “Operation Southern Spear,” a military campaign he said would target “narcoterrorists” across the Western Hemisphere. Hegseth’s announcement on social media came as the Pentagon said it had blown up another boat in the Caribbean Sea, reportedly killing four people aboard. It’s the 20th such strike, bringing the reported death toll to 80 people. The Pentagon claims the boats were carrying drugs, but officials have acknowledged they don’t know who has been killed. The attacks have been condemned as unlawful extrajudicial killings by the U.N.’s human rights chief, governments including Mexico, Colombia and the European Union, and U.S. lawmakers, among others.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied reports by CNN that the United Kingdom has stopped sharing intelligence on drug trafficking vessels over concerns about the U.S. strikes.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “I did see a CNN report yesterday. I’m not going to go into great detail, and to say that it’s a — it’s a false story. It’s a fake story.”
Tribuno del Pueblo brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: tribunodelpueblo.org. We’re all volunteers, no paid staff. Please donate at http://tribunodelpueblo.org to keep bringing you the voices of the movement because no human being is illegal.
