President Donald Trump has confirmed that his administration’s escalating campaign against narco-terrorist networks will soon push inland, expanding what has already become one of the most aggressive anti-cartel operations in modern U.S. history.
Speaking during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting, Trump said the Pentagon’s lethal strikes on drug-trafficking vessels, which have become a hallmark of “Operation Southern Spear,” will no longer be limited to maritime targets.
“We’re going to start doing those strikes on land too,” the president said.
“The land is much easier. It’s much easier.
“And we know the routes they take.
“We know everything about them.
“We know where they live,” he warned.
“We know where bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon, too.”
WATCH:
NEW: Trump says he will begin striking narco-terrorists by land.
"We're going to start doing those strikes on land too. You know, the land is much easier… we know where the bad ones live." pic.twitter.com/Sb7W1DBnEn
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) December 2, 2025
Trump tied the expansion directly to the human cost of narcotics smuggled into the United States.
He said narco-terrorist networks are responsible for drugs that are killing 200,000 Americans annually, arguing that every facet of U.S. policy must reflect the scale of devastation caused by cartel trafficking operations.
Any country that facilitates illegal narcotics, Trump added, should consider itself within the operation’s reach.
“Not just Venezuela,” he noted.
“Venezuela has been very bad.
“Venezuela has been really bad in something else, probably worse than most, but a lot of other people do it too,” he said.
Administration Says Maritime Strikes Have Already Crippled Trafficking Routes
Trump highlighted that the administration’s maritime campaign has slashed drug-running routes by more than 90%, crediting naval operations with saving “hundreds of thousands of lives.”
“We’re saving hundreds of thousands of lives with our pinpoint attacks,” he said, warning cartels that “we’ve only just begun.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed the message, noting that the Pentagon’s counter-narcotics mission is still in its early stages and will continue to escalate.
The administration, he said, has “only just begun” targeting narco-terrorist groups, vowing to put traffickers “at the bottom of the ocean” for “poisoning the American people.”
WATCH:
NEW: Secretary Pete Hegseth says U.S. has "only just begun" sinking narco-terrorist vessels. pic.twitter.com/UYo7ffvzfF
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) December 2, 2025
Massive U.S. Deployment Now Positioned in the Caribbean
The United States has built one of its largest regional force postures in years as part of Operation Southern Spear:
- More than 15,000 U.S. troops
- A dozen warships
- The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier
CNN has reported that more than 80 people have been killed in strikes on suspected drug-running vessels.
Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace Effectively Closed
The president also issued a stark warning Sunday about Venezuelan airspace:
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.
“Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Despite the warning, both commercial and private aircraft continue to fly through the region, according to flight-tracking data.
The Maduro regime condemned Trump’s declaration as a “colonialist threat,” insisting:
“No authority outside the Venezuelan institutional framework has the power to interfere with, block, or condition the use of international airspace.”
Trump has designated Nicolás Maduro as the leader of the Cartel de Los Soles, and has openly pressured him to resign.
Trump confirmed he has spoken with Maduro but did not disclose details.
Pope Leo Urges Caution on Possible U.S. Action in Venezuela
Speaking aboard the papal plane, Pope Leo weighed in on fears of a possible U.S. incursion.
“It seems there is the possibility that there be some activity, even an operation to invade Venezuelan territory,” Leo said.
“I truly believe that it is better to look for ways of dialogue, maybe pressure, including economic pressure, but looking another way to change, if that is what they want to do in the United States.”
A Defining Expansion of Trump’s Anti-Cartel Doctrine
With Operation Southern Spear already reshaping maritime trafficking routes, the president’s announcement marks the most significant expansion of U.S. counter-narcotics strategy in decades.
Shifting from sea to land would place direct pressure on the cartels’ inland infrastructure, training camps, trafficking hubs, and high-value operatives.
Trump’s message to narco-terrorists was unmistakable, warning that the United States is escalating, and the campaign is nowhere near finished.
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.