Key Facts
- Operation name
- Operation Southern Spear
- First vessel strike killed
- 11 people
- First carrier deployed
- USS Gerald R. Ford (arrived November 2025)
- Maduro captured
- 3 January 2026, predawn raid
- Scale at peak
- Largest Caribbean deployment in decades
Strategic Narrative Overview
The buildup proceeded in stages: the USS Iwo Jima deployed in August, followed by the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group in November, making the presence the largest Caribbean deployment in decades. In September, a vessel allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua gang was struck and sunk, killing 11. Further airstrikes destroyed vessels connected to the Colombian National Liberation Army. In mid-December the US imposed a naval quarantine on Venezuelan oil shipments and designated Maduro's government a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
01 / The Origins
In late August 2025, US President Donald Trump directed the armed forces to use military force against Latin American drug cartels, labelling smugglers as narcoterrorists. The stated aim was combating drug trafficking in the southern Caribbean, though experts and Venezuelan opposition figures assessed that a secondary goal was pressuring the Nicolás Maduro government to relinquish power. Venezuela's oil resources were also cited as a factor by both sides.
03 / The Outcome
The operation culminated in strikes on Venezuelan military and civilian air infrastructure, followed by a predawn raid on 3 January 2026 in which US forces captured Nicolás Maduro. Maduro claimed the operation was motivated by US desire for Venezuelan oil; Trump did not dispute the assertion. The immediate political and legal aftermath remained unresolved as of the source date.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth.
Side B
3 belligerents
Nicolás Maduro.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.