Aeronaves AV-8B Harrier II from the United States Marine Corps, integrated into the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU), carried out military exercises with live fire from the amphibious ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Sea, as part of the deployment ordered by Washington under Operation "Southern Spear."
The maneuvers are taking place in a context of maximum geopolitical tension in the region and sustained pressure from the United States on the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
Live-fire exercises are part of the operations of the Joint Task Force "Lanza del Sur," under the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which has jurisdiction over 31 countries and territories in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The deployment of Harrier attack aircraft from Iwo Jima is part of this framework of military cooperation and projection, aimed —according to the Pentagon— at "expelling narco-terrorists from the Western Hemisphere" and strengthening the defense of what Washington describes as its “strategic neighborhood.”
The operation was announced by the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who publicly introduced “Lanza del Sur” as a new large-scale military operation in Latin America, initiated by the administration of Donald Trump.
In statements shared on the social media platform X, Hegseth explained that the mission is led by the Joint Task Force and SOUTHCOM, with the goal of protecting U.S. territory and stopping the influx of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs that Washington attributes to Latin American drug trafficking networks, which it labels as "narcoterrorists."
Although the official discourse positions "Lanza del Sur" within the framework of the fight against drugs, the military deployment also has a clear political backdrop: the pressure on Nicolás Maduro's government.
Since the summer, the Pentagon has bolstered its presence in the Caribbean, especially off the coast of Venezuela, with the arrival of warships, destroyers, amphibious forces, and more recently, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, described as the largest and most sophisticated in the world.
U.S. media has reported that senior officials at the Pentagon even presented President Trump with “updated options” to attack Venezuela, although no definitive decision has been made.
In that context, the live-fire exercises of the Harriers from Iwo Jima are seen as part of a demonstration of strength in the Venezuelan maritime environment and a deterrent message directed at Caracas.
Parallel to the visible maneuvers, Operation "Lanza del Sur" has been accompanied by lethal attacks against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
According to information released by outlets such as CNN and gathered in the analysis of the operation, the United States has conducted at least twenty attacks of this kind, resulting in the deaths of around 80 people, many of whom have not been formally identified nor has there been any public evidence presented regarding their links to drug trafficking.
These operations have raised legal questions and criticism from European allies and regional actors, who are demanding greater transparency regarding the criteria used to authorize deadly attacks in international waters.
In response, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the idea that European partners can dictate how Washington defines the defense of its national security.
Reaction of Venezuela and the regional context
The government of Nicolás Maduro has denounced the operation and U.S. military exercises as part of a strategy of “militarization of the Caribbean.”
In a televised speech, Maduro accused the United States of using “false narratives” to justify the growing military buildup, comparing it to previous accusations regarding weapons of mass destruction used to legitimize interventions in other countries.
For his part, the Venezuelan Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, described the military presence of the United States as a "blatant attack on the sovereignty and peace" not only of Venezuela but of all of Latin America.
In response, Caracas organized an internal military exercise involving the mobilization of about 200,000 soldiers, under the banner of defending the country against a supposed "imperialist" threat.
Drug control or geopolitical pressure?
Experts and analysts have questioned the actual effectiveness of such deployments in the fight against drug trafficking. Researcher Elizabeth Dickinson from the International Crisis Group warned that an aircraft carrier or large naval units contribute little in practical terms to combating drug routes, and that their role is more symbolic and political.
In his view, “Lanza del Sur” is primarily aimed at increasing the pressure on the Maduro regime, rather than dismantling the drug trafficking networks in the region.
With the Harriers of the Marine Corps firing live ammunition from the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean, the Ford and other U.S. ships deployed in the area, and the lethal attacks against suspicious vessels, Operation “Southern Lance” is shaping up to be the largest military deployment of the United States in Latin America in generations.
Amid the rhetoric surrounding the defense of the "Western Hemisphere," live-fire exercises and associated operations continue to raise diplomatic concerns, legal uncertainties, and fears of an escalation in Washington's hemispheric policy.
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