U.S. Deploys Aircraft Carrier to Caribbean Amid Rising Tensions with Venezuela

The U.S. has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and other military assets to the Caribbean, citing efforts to combat drug trafficking. The move follows President Donald Trump’s recent strikes that destroyed several vessels accused of carrying narcotics. Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro condemned the buildup, accusing Washington of trying to provoke war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to treat drug traffickers like terrorists, while Trump suggested he could launch further attacks without congressional approval.

The United States government has ordered the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying vessels to the Caribbean as part of an intensified military buildup in the region. Washington says the move is aimed at combating drug trafficking, but the Venezuelan government has accused the U.S. of attempting to fabricate a war.

The deployment comes after President Donald Trump, who had campaigned on a promise to end foreign military interventions, launched a major military operation in early September. During this campaign, at least ten vessels in the region were destroyed in U.S. strikes for allegedly carrying narcotics.

According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the deployment of the aircraft carrier “will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.” Parnell added in a statement that the expanded U.S. presence within the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility would strengthen America’s ability to detect, monitor, and disrupt illegal activities that threaten the safety and prosperity of the U.S. homeland and its security within the Western Hemisphere.

The announcement came shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that six people had been killed in a U.S. strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea, allegedly operated by the Venezuelan drug trafficking gang known as Tren de Agua. Hegseth declared on X that, “If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or night, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.” On social media, he uses the title “Secretary of War,” the designation given to him under the Trump administration.

As part of its broader campaign, the United States has already sent substantial military hardware to the region, including ten F-35 stealth fighters, a nuclear submarine, and eight U.S. Navy ships. Flight tracking data also showed that a B-1B bomber flew over the Caribbean near Venezuela’s coast on Thursday, while several B-52 bombers were observed circling the same area the previous week.

The decision to send the USS Gerald R. Ford in addition to these deployments has raised fresh concerns in Caracas, where officials fear Washington’s ultimate goal may be to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. government has repeatedly accused Maduro of supporting and enabling drug trafficking networks.

Late on Friday, Maduro accused the Trump administration of provoking what he called “a new eternal war.” Speaking on state television, he said, “They promised they would never again get involved in a war, and they are fabricating a war that we are going to prevent.”

President Trump, for his part, stated on Thursday that he does not need congressional approval to launch military action against Venezuela or any other nation he accuses of participating in drug trafficking. He also hinted that land-based strikes could soon follow, signaling that the military escalation in the Caribbean may be far from over.