The U.S. Navy announced on Sunday that it has moved one of its most deadly aircraft carriers to the Caribbean Sea to counter Venezuelan boats believed to be smuggling dangerous narcotics to the United States.
This marks another escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro into stopping the flow of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.
From NBC News:
The nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday in a display of U.S. military power, raising questions about what the new influx of troops and weaponry could signal for the Trump administration’s drug enforcement campaign in South America.
The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, announced by the U.S. military in a news release, marks a major moment in what the Trump administration insists is a counterdrug operation but has been seen as an escalating pressure tactic against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Since early September, U.S. strikes have killed at least 80 people in 20 attacks on small boats accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The Ford rounds off the largest buildup of U.S. firepower in the region in generations, bringing the total number of troops to around 12,000 on nearly a dozen Navy ships in what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dubbed “Operation Southern Spear.”
The Ford’s carrier strike group, which includes squadrons of fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers, transited the Anegada Passage near the British Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, the Navy said in a statement.
Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the Ford’s carrier strike group, said it will bolster an already large force of American warships to “protect our nation’s security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.”
Venezuela: in the next 24 to 72 hours we may see air strikes on Venezuela as the final U.S. strike Force enters the Caribbean and escalates to killing more fishermen off the coast of Venezuela.
— Andy🇨🇺 (@AndyGeoP) November 17, 2025
Venezuela will defend itself from Imperialism. pic.twitter.com/SO1yl3Wr1O
The U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford is one of the most powerful naval weapons in the Navy’s arsenal. It carries military jets that can drop bombs, fire missiles, and engage enemy aircraft. It has the capability to jam enemy radar and communications as well.
The strike group includes three destroyer warships that travel with the carrier. Each of these carries advanced missile systems, including Tomahawk missiles that can strike targets on the ground.
President Donald Trump has tempered his aggressive approach by intimating that he would be willing to negotiate with Maduro to avoid further military action, according to The New York Times.
But President Trump also left open the possibility of negotiations, telling reporters that the United States “may be having some discussions” with President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.
“We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out,” Mr. Trump said, speaking at an airport in West Palm Beach, Fla. He added that Venezuela “would like to talk” but would not elaborate on what he meant.
“What does it mean? You tell me, I don’t know,” Mr. Trump said. When a reporter asked if he was interested in negotiations, he shrugged. “I talk to anybody,” he said. “I talk to you.”
Since September, Trump has ordered multiple military strikes against boats in the Caribbean, killing at least 80 people. Critics argue that the administration has approved these attacks without providing evidence of wrongdoing or trials.
🚨Update: US deploys a squadron of fighter jets near Venezuela with orders to shoot down any Venezuelan aircraft that approaches US forces! US planning to conduct air strikes against Narco targets across Venezuela, including targeting Dictator Maduro!! pic.twitter.com/7Pkx7aQbtR
— US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) September 6, 2025
Others have posited that the strikes are aimed at forcing Maduro out of power. The White House has countered these claims by insisting that Maduro’s regime is not only orchestrated the flow of drugs into the United States, but is also sending dangerous illegal immigrants to cross the southern border.
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