The US Navy's "Gerald R. Ford" aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the Caribbean, the US Navy announced on November 16, UNN reports.
The "Gerald R. Ford" aircraft carrier strike group, led by the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), transited the Anegada Passage and entered the Caribbean Sea on November 16.
As CNN notes, the "world's most advanced aircraft carrier" has thus found itself at the center of growing tensions in the region.
The group joins US forces already in the Caribbean as part of Joint Task Force Southern Spear, as part of the Trump administration's efforts to "dismantle and eliminate criminal networks," according to a US Navy press release.
On Tuesday, the "Ford" arrived in the area of responsibility of the US Southern Command at the order of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
Why it matters
The Trump administration, as CNN notes, is building up military power in the region and launching deadly strikes against vessels that are allegedly involved in drug trafficking. "The US president is now considering a potentially larger campaign, possibly including ground strikes inside Venezuela or attempts to remove President Nicolás Maduro," the publication writes.
Maduro condemned any US intervention, and other regional leaders warned of potential destabilization. The Trump administration, it is noted, has carried out strikes against vessels with little transparency.
Meanwhile, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll stated that the American military is ready for action if ordered to take measures in Venezuela.
"The President and the Secretary of War have spent a lot of time thinking about what they can do for the American people in the best possible way. I can speak from the Army's perspective: we have extensive training in this part of the world. We are reopening our jungle school in Panama. We will be ready to act on any demand from the President and the Secretary of War," Driscoll said in an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation."
He declined to specify whether any order had been given, saying, "We will be ready if asked."
Trump claims “progress” in stopping drug supplies from Venezuela15.11.25, 09:27