U.S. Largest Carrier Arrives In Latin America As Venezuela Holds More Military Drills (Videos)

Illustrative image. (U.S. Navy)

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has begun operating in the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.

The Pentagon confirmed the arrival, which was first reported by Reuters news agency, saying in a statement on November 11 that it would help “disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations.”

“Through unwavering commitment and the precise use of our forces, we stand ready to combat the transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region,” SOUTHCOM commander Adm. Alvin Holsey said in a statement.

SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility includes Central and South America, the Caribbean, and their territorial waters, with the exception of U.S. territories.

The Ford, which was commissioned in 2017, is the newest in the U.S. Navy and the world’s largest, with more than 5,000 sailors aboard. It can support some 70 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets and EA-18G Growler electric warfare attack jets.

In addition, the carrier is reported to be escorted by guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan, and USS Winston Churchill.

The arrival of the carrier marks a new escalation in the U.S. ongoing operations against narco traffickers in Latin America, specifically in Venezuela.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump began to escalate against Caracas over the drug issue back in August. It first doubled the reward for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Maduro to $50 million on drug trafficking charges then deployed an amphibious ready group led by the USS Iwo Jima landing helicopter dock with some 2,000 marines to the Caribbean Sea on a so-called “counter narco-terror operation”.

The U.S. military has already carried out 19 strikes against boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing 75 people. Six were killed in the latest strikes, which was announced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on November 10.

In a post to X, Hegseth said that the strikes targeted two boats which “were carrying narcotics,” and were transiting along “a known narco-trafficking transit route” in the Eastern Pacific.

“Under President Trump, we are protecting the homeland and killing these cartel terrorists who wish to harm our country and its people,” he added.

Recent reports by U.S. media suggest that the Trump administration is nearing a decision on an attack against Venezuela, with options on the table including targeting Maduro and occupying the country’s oil fields.

Venezuela has bracing for an attack. The country’s military continues to conduct exercises with a focus on quick evacuation, and decentralized operations.

Maduro approved plans for “armed resistance” earlier this month, which indicate that the country is preparing for a long fight.

Any attack by the U.S. on Venezuela will likely be aimed at changing the regime in Caracas. The U.S. clearly wants to tap into the country’s oil reserves, reported to be the largest in the entire world, and Trump does not apparently believe an agreement with Maduro on this issue is possible.

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