The USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States’ most advanced aircraft carrier, arrived in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, marking a significant demonstration of American military power. This deployment has sparked concerns about the Trump administration’s intentions in South America, particularly as the U.S. intensifies its military operations against vessels suspected of drug trafficking. The arrival of the Ford and other warships, announced by the Navy, underscores a pivotal moment in what the government terms an anti-drug operation but is widely perceived as escalating pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The Ford’s deployment completes the largest buildup of U.S. firepower in the region in decades. The mission, dubbed ‘Operation Southern Spear,’ now includes nearly twelve naval vessels and approximately 12,000 sailors and Marines. This move follows the military’s latest lethal strike on a small boat allegedly involved in transporting illegal drugs. A video released by the U.S. Southern Command on Sunday showed the boat being destroyed in international waters of the eastern Pacific, resulting in three fatalities. Since early September, such U.S. operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have claimed at least 83 lives in 21 attacks.
Rear Admiral Paul Lanzilotta, commander of the strike group, emphasized that the deployment aims to ‘protect the safety and prosperity of our nation from narcoterrorism in the Western Hemisphere.’ Admiral Alvin Holsey, overseeing U.S. operations in the Caribbean and Latin America, stated that American forces are ‘ready to combat transnational threats destabilizing our region.’ Holsey, set to retire next month, described the strike group’s deployment as a ‘crucial step in reinforcing our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphere and the American homeland.’
In Trinidad and Tobago, located just 11 kilometers from Venezuela at its closest point, government officials reported that troops have begun joint training exercises with the U.S. military, expected to last much of the week. Foreign Minister Sean Sobers described these exercises as the second in less than a month, aimed at addressing violent crime on the island, which has become a transit point for drug shipments to Europe and North America. The Prime Minister has been a vocal supporter of U.S. military actions.
The Venezuelan government, however, has condemned these exercises as acts of aggression. President Maduro, accused by the U.S. of drug terrorism, asserted that the American government is ‘fabricating a war’ against him. On his Facebook page, Maduro declared that the Venezuelan people are ‘ready to defend their homeland against any form of criminal aggression.’ Meanwhile, Defense Minister Dan Driscoll highlighted the U.S. military’s increasing focus on Latin America, announcing the reactivation of a jungle training school in Panama.
While the Trump administration maintains that its military buildup is aimed at curbing drug flow into the U.S., it has provided no evidence to support claims that the victims of these operations were ‘narcoterrorists.’ Critics, including regional leaders, the UN Human Rights Commissioner, and U.S. lawmakers, have questioned the legal justification for these attacks. Nonetheless, Senate Republicans recently blocked legislation that would have restricted Trump’s ability to launch an attack on Venezuela without Congressional approval.
Experts remain divided on whether U.S. combat aircraft should be used to strike land targets in Venezuela. Regardless, the deployment of the 100,000-ton warship sends a clear message. Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst for the Andes region at the International Crisis Group, noted, ‘This is the core of what it means to reassert American military power in Latin America. It has raised significant concerns not only in Venezuela but across the region. Everyone is watching with bated breath to see how far the U.S. is willing to go in using military force.’