The US aircraft carrier strike group "Gerald Ford" has arrived in Latin America, which, according to analysts, could escalate the confrontation between Washington and Caracas. This was reported by US officials.
The deployment decision was made by President Donald Trump last month, strengthening the US presence in a region where eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 fighter jets are already operating. The Pentagon stated that the mission is aimed at "stopping drug trafficking and destroying transnational criminal organizations."
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the US of trying to "remove him from power." Tensions between the countries escalated after Washington doubled the reward for information that could lead to Maduro's arrest to $50 million, accusing him of ties to drug cartels.
According to Reuters, in recent months, US forces have carried out at least 19 strikes on vessels suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean and off the coast of Latin America, resulting in at least 76 deaths.