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The USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced and powerful aircraft carrier in the U.S. fleet, is now under the command of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), responsible for military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
His arrival marks a new point of regional tension, especially due to his deployment off the coast of Venezuela, as part of the drug trafficking offensive ordered by President Donald Trump.
The United States Navy confirmed that the strike group led by the Gerald R. Ford — which includes over 4,000 personnel, guided missile destroyers, and tactical aircraft — is now operating under the direct control of the Department of Defense.
The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, executed the presidential directive to intensify the fight against Transnational Criminal Organizations and drug terrorism, deemed a threat to the security of the western hemisphere.
Since the beginning of the operation, U.S. forces have destroyed 20 vessels and taken down 75 alleged narco-terrorists in actions in the Caribbean and the Pacific, as part of what Washington describes as a "direct offensive against Latin American cartels."
The Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, explained that the deployment aims to "detect, monitor, and disrupt illegal activities that affect the stability of the region."
The Gerald R. Ford is accompanied by eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 aircraft, making its presence the largest display of American military strength in the area since the 2000s.
Meanwhile, the regime of Nicolás Maduro announced a “massive deployment” of troops, aircraft, and civilian militias to respond to what it labeled as an “imperial threat.” Caracas asserts that it will defend “every inch of Venezuelan territory” against a potential foreign incursion.
The arrival of the Gerald R. Ford to Southern Command symbolizes Washington's military reinforcement in Latin America and the strategic encirclement against drug trafficking and regimes allied with organized crime.
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