Hegseth announces operation to remove 'narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new U.S. mission, Operation Southern Spear, targeting narco-terror groups across the Western Hemisphere.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveils Operation Southern Spear to dismantle narco-terror networks across Latin America. (Photo by Jeon Heon-Kyun - Pool/Getty Images)

U.S. forces carried out the most recent strike in the Caribbean, killing four suspected narco-terrorists.

The Navy announced in January it would lead Operation Southern Spear under U.S. 4th Fleet and Southern Command using "long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical take-off and landing robotic air vessels."

US DEPLOYS FORD CARRIER STRIKE GROUP TO COMBAT NARCO-TERROR IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Operation Southern Spear aims to defend the homeland and cut off drug routes to the U.S. (Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"I frankly think the Biden administration didn’t go far enough after the Venezuelan people voted overwhelmingly to get rid of Maduro," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said.

"The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it," Hegseth said.

Mitch Picasso is a Fox News digital production assistant. You can reach him at @mitch_picasso on Twitter.

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