Although the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford recently left the Caribbean to be relocated to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran, the United States maintains a strong military presence in the region, as confirmed this Friday by Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
In a message posted on the social network X, the entity emphasized its "commitment to regional security and stability" and asserted that the "elite fighters of the Joint Task Force Southern Spear, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready group, continue to operate in the Caribbean to advance the National Defense Strategy by dismantling criminal networks, combating narcoterrorism, and deterring malignant actors."
The message makes it clear that, despite the departure of the Ford —considered the most advanced and lethal aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy— Washington has not diminished its military pressure in the hemisphere. On the contrary, the deployment remains active under Operation Southern Spear , a campaign launched in September 2025 against organizations that the United States classifies as transnational narcoterrorists.
The USS Gerald R. Ford had entered the area of responsibility of Southern Command in November 2025, in what was interpreted as an unprecedented show of force in the Caribbean in decades, amid the Venezuelan crisis and the escalation of operations against maritime drug trafficking.
Its presence was accompanied by other amphibious assault ships and support units, consolidating the largest U.S. naval deployment in the area in recent years.
However, in February 2026, the Pentagon ordered its relocation to the Middle East, reconfiguring global strategic priorities. Nevertheless, the operational structure in the Caribbean remains intact.
Among the highlighted assets is the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), led by the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and accompanied by the USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28).
This "blue-green" force - a joint force composed of the Navy (blue) and the Marine Corps (green) - made up of over 4,500 sailors and marines along with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC), is designed to conduct rapid response operations, maritime interdiction, evacuations, and amphibious assaults.
"The area of responsibility for SOUTHCOM continues to support Operation Southern Spear, operations led by the Department of Defense and the President's priority of protecting the homeland," added Southern Command in its statement, tagging the Navy, the Marine Corps, and other operational units.
Since the beginning of the campaign, the United States has carried out dozens of attacks against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. Authorities claim that the aim is to disrupt key maritime routes used by criminal networks, many of which are linked to regimes and actors considered hostile by Washington.
Although the withdrawal of the Ford could be interpreted as a de-escalation of tension, the message from Southern Command points in the opposite direction: the military pressure strategy in the Caribbean continues, with a significant deployment that keeps one of the most sensitive maritime regions under constant surveillance for hemispheric security.
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