The United States military began executing airstrikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea in September 2025, described by the administration of President Donald Trump as part of an effort to fight the flow of illicit drugs from Latin America to the US. In October, the strikes expanded to include vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Trump administration has alleged, without producing public evidence, that the vessels were operated by groups it designated as narcoterrorists, including the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua and the Colombian far-left guerilla group National Liberation Army.
As part of what was later unveiled as Operation Southern Spear, the US began deploying Navy warships and personnel to the Caribbean in mid-August.