Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced that the Netherlands will no longer participate in U.S.-led open-sea operations under “Operation Southern Spear”, citing the harsh American tactics that have resulted in over 100 deaths during attacks on vessels suspected of drug trafficking.
“We have cooperated with the Americans for years, but in a different way: we arrest and prosecute, not by shooting at ships,” Brekelmans said. He added that the Netherlands will continue its anti-drug efforts solely within the territorial waters of its Caribbean islands – Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire.
This decision follows heightened international tensions after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on January 3, 2026, as part of Operation Southern Spear.
Maduro and his wife were transferred to New York, where they pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
While the U.S. administration describes the operation as a strike against drug cartels, it has drawn international criticism for violating Venezuelan sovereignty.
