The US announcement of Operation Southern Spear not only poses a threat to Venezuela but also to the US-led unipolar world order.

US Strikes in the Caribbean and Rising International Condemnation

Recently, the United States confirmed its 20th attack on Venezuelan vessels, killing all four onboard, in international waters. The news came amidst reports of the Trump administration’s meetings to discuss the details of possible military operations against the incumbent government in Venezuela. The US Southern Command, also known as SOUTHCOM, was responsible for conducting all these strikes against the alleged drug traffickers.

The US officials hold that all the vessels were trafficking narcotics. However, it did not provide any evidence that any of these vessels were involved in drug trafficking. As per reports, around 80 people have been killed by the US strikes on Venezuelan vessels in international waters.

Human rights and international law experts maintain that these strikes amount to extrajudicial killings. In addition, international human rights organizations have also raised their concerns over these US strikes, declaring them unlawful. The United Nations has also condemned these extrajudicial killings, describing the strikes as a violation of international law. According to the UN experts, “International law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers…. Criminal activities should be disrupted, investigated, and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law, including through international cooperation.”

Even the Western allies of the United States have raised their concerns over these strikes. According to reports, the French Foreign Minister, speaking on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Canada, stated that France has observed these operations in the Caribbean region with concern, as they violate international law. International media reports also suggest that Britain has suspended its intelligence sharing with the United States in the Caribbean region after these strikes.

However, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has strongly rejected the European criticism over these strikes. While answering a question about this criticism, he stated, “I don’t think that the European Union gets to determine what international law is. They certainly don’t get to determine how the United States defends its national security.

Escalation Through Operation Southern Spear and Military Build-Up

Rejecting all the pressure from its allies and international institutions, the US has recently announced Operation Southern Spear against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean. In a post on X, Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, stated, “Today, I’m announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR. Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighbourhood - and we will protect it.”

The Trump administration’s rebranding of the Department of Defense to the Department of War demonstrates the incumbent government’s hardcore approach towards the country’s foreign policy issues.

The United States has deployed a huge force in the western Atlantic and Caribbean region near Venezuela. It has also deployed amphibious assault ships, a nuclear-powered submarine, warships, and numerous missile destroyers. In addition, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced US aircraft carrier, is also expected to join these US forces in the Caribbean in the coming days.

The Trump administration has also doubled the bounty for the arrest of the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros. US President Donald Trump has accused President Maduro of supporting drug cartels. He also accused him of being directly involved in drug trafficking. However, the US government has not provided any evidence of these allegations.

As per reports, the US intelligence has rejected all such accusations, maintaining that little to no Fentanyl is being produced in Venezuela. The Trump administration’s unabated operations and accusations against Venezuela suggest that Washington has some covert underlying objectives behind these strikes and militarization of the Caribbean.

Regional Consequences, Nationalism in Venezuela, and the Future of US Influence

Apparently, the Trump administration is following a multipronged strategy to exploit political fault lines within the Venezuelan government and military establishment. President Trump is penalizing Venezuela for its alliance with Russia. In addition, the Trump administration seeks to install a pro-Washington regime in Venezuela to achieve its regional ambitions.

Most of the Global South is rapidly aligning with the newly emerged Eastern bloc. Brazil is one of the founding members of the BRICS organization. The Trump administration has moved to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazil, a step analysts perceive as linked to the country’s growing role in BRICS and its ongoing legal actions against former President Jair Bolsonaro, a longtime Trump ally. This demonstrates that these recent US strikes and militarization of the Caribbean are a signal to the regional and global powers by the Trump administration that it would go to any length to pursue its regional and international ambition.

However, the Trump administration’s regime change operation has increased President Maduro’s popularity in Venezuela. Washington’s militarization of the Caribbean and military threat to Venezuela have raised nationalist sentiment amongst the Venezuelan citizens. If the US succeeds in ousting the incumbent Venezuelan President, those replacing him will be seen as traitors by Venezuelans for supporting invaders. This would not only destabilize the country but would also have detrimental implications for the whole world.

Moreover, this would increase diplomatic intricacies for the United States. International liberal institutions established under the US-led world order are already losing their legitimacy and relevance due to the US and Israel’s repeated violations of international law. Through such operations and actions, Washington itself is expediting the decline of the US global hegemony.

?bbas Hashemite is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist. Courtesy

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