In a significant military maneuver, the United States has deployed its most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Caribbean Sea as part of an intensified anti-narcotics campaign. This deployment, announced by the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on Sunday, is part of President Donald Trump’s broader directive to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and combat narco-terrorism. The move is likely to escalate tensions with Venezuela, whose government views the military buildup as a direct threat. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, accompanied by two guided-missile destroyers and other support vessels, joins several warships already stationed in the region under ‘Operation Southern Spear.’
In a related development, US forces conducted a strike in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of three suspected drug traffickers. Since the inception of the anti-trafficking initiative in September, US military operations have reportedly killed at least 83 individuals accused of drug smuggling in international waters. However, the US has not provided detailed evidence to substantiate claims that those targeted were indeed traffickers, leading experts to criticize the operations as extrajudicial killings.
The deployment comes amid heightened speculation about potential US military intervention in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro faces strong opposition from Washington. The US does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and has offered a $50 million bounty for his capture on charges of leading a drug cartel. President Trump has hinted at decisive action regarding Venezuela, stating on Friday that he had ‘sort of’ made up his mind on the issue, though he declined to elaborate. Meanwhile, the US military has also increased its presence in Trinidad and Tobago, conducting joint training exercises with local forces, which Maduro has condemned as ‘irresponsible.’