The United States is sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to South American waters, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing military buildup across the Caribbean Sea and near Venezuela, the Pentagon confirmed on Friday.
According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the deployment—ordered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth—aims to “bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States.”
The USS Ford, accompanied by five destroyers, is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea but will soon move under the jurisdiction of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
This move follows a series of US strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels since early September. Earlier on Friday, Hegseth announced the 10th such strike, which killed six people and brought the total death toll from these operations to at least 43.
“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth declared. “Day or night, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”
Focus on Venezuela
The latest strike reportedly targeted a vessel operated by the Tren de Aragua gang—a Venezuelan criminal organization now designated as a foreign terrorist group by the Trump administration.
US officials claim at least four of the targeted boats originated from Venezuelan territory, fueling speculation that Washington may be preparing for broader action against President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which faces narcoterrorism charges in the US.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Maduro dismissed the US justification as pretext for regime change, saying during a televised address that his forces had conducted nationwide defense drills covering the entire 2,000-kilometer coastline.
“Not war, not war, not war. Just peace, forever peace. No crazy war,” Maduro said mockingly on Friday.
Strategic Messaging
Analysts believe the deployment is less about counter-narcotics and more about signaling power projection in the hemisphere.
“Everyone knows drugs are just the excuse,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, Senior Analyst for the Andes at the International Crisis Group. “The US is sending a clear message: it’s willing to use force against leaders and countries that don’t align with its interests.”
Legal and Political Debate
The Trump administration has begun framing the anti-cartel campaign as a new “war on terror”, invoking the same legal authorities used after September 11, 2001.
President Donald Trump recently declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants, stating the US is in an “armed conflict” with them.
When asked if he would seek a Congressional declaration of war, Trump replied:
“I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. They’re going to be, you know, dead.”
The move has sparked bipartisan concern in Washington.
Democratic Senator Andy Kim warned of potential overreach:
“We have no idea how far this could go—could it mean boots on the ground? Could it escalate further?”
However, Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart defended the decision, saying:
“It’s about time.”
A New Chapter in US Regional Strategy
With the USS Gerald R. Ford’s deployment, the United States appears poised to reassert military dominance in the Western Hemisphere, amid growing instability in Venezuela and increasing US-led operations across the Caribbean.
