The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, marking a significant escalation of U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.
The move, described by officials as part of enhanced counter-narcotics operations, represents Washington’s most assertive show of force in the region to date. The deployment adds to eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 aircraft already stationed nearby, intensifying tensions with Venezuela.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the carrier strike group would strengthen the U.S. ability to “detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors” across the Western Hemisphere.
While the timeline for the carrier’s arrival remains unclear, the Ford was recently sighted traveling through the Strait of Gibraltar. Commissioned in 2017, it is the world’s largest aircraft carrier, with more than 5,000 personnel and advanced air, missile, and radar systems.
Since early September, U.S. forces have launched 10 strikes against alleged drug vessels, killing about 40 people, including some Venezuelans.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the buildup, warning of “a general insurrection” if the U.S. intervenes militarily. Washington recently doubled its bounty on Maduro to $50 million over alleged drug-trafficking links, accusations he rejects.
Tensions have also risen with Colombia, after Trump labeled President Gustavo Petro “an illegal drug leader.” The U.S. has since imposed sanctions on Petro, while authorizing the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the expanded deployment will enhance efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations.
Legal experts and Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern over the legality of recent U.S. strikes, though Republican figures praised the move as a decisive step to protect U.S. interests and stability in the Western Hemisphere.
