US Southern Command announced it stands ready to provide specialized maritime capabilities in support of Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice operations on the high seas, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, according to an X post shared between 3:16 PM and 3:46 PM UTC on December 30. The statement from @Southcom referenced #OpSouthernSpear and tagged @DHSgov, @TheJusticeDept, @DeptofWar, @USMC, and @USCG, as posted at https://x.com/Southcom/status/2006024586643599782 during the 29-minute reporting window. Separately, @Flightwatcher1 reported a US Navy C-40 Clipper aircraft with call sign CONVOY696 and registration 166696 flying from Norfolk Naval Station to the Caribbean, hashtagging #SOUTHCOM and #OpSouthernSpear, according to an X post at https://x.com/Flightwatcher1/status/2006024274545356950 shared in the same period. These announcements follow earlier media reports today of a CIA-led drone strike on a remote Venezuelan coastal dock with no fatalities, as detailed by The New York Times and CNN.
