U.S. Southern Command

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is a unified combatant command of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation in its area of responsibility, which includes Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. SOUTHCOM is in the news due to its recent actions targeting drug trafficking and efforts to enforce sanctions against Venezuela. Recent events include the destruction of an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, resulting in casualties, and the seizure of multiple oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea linked to Venezuela's oil exports. These seizures are part of a broader U.S. effort to control Venezuela's oil trade and counter the use of "ghost fleets" to circumvent sanctions. SOUTHCOM's actions highlight the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region and the U.S. government's strategy of using military force to address drug trafficking and enforce economic sanctions.