Reuters: US deploys carrier strike group to Caribbean amid Venezuela tensions

The Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group has entered the Latin America region, intensifying U.S.-Venezuelan tensions, officials confirmed. 

President Donald Trump ordered the deployment last month, adding to eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 aircraft already stationed in the Caribbean, Reuters reports.

The Ford, commissioned in 2017, is the newest and largest U.S. aircraft carrier, carrying over 5,000 sailors and more than 75 aircraft, including F-18 jets and E-2 Hawkeye early warning planes. Its supporting vessels—including the Ticonderoga-class cruiser Normandy and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt—bring advanced surface, air, and anti-submarine capabilities.

The Pentagon said the deployment will help “disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations.” Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro accused the U.S. of seeking to remove him from power, warning of a potential guerrilla-style resistance if attacked.

U.S.-Colombian relations have also worsened, with Trump and President Gustavo Petro exchanging accusations over drug links and military actions. Meanwhile, U.S. forces are reportedly upgrading a former Cold War naval base in the Caribbean, signalling preparations for potential sustained operations in the region.

By Vugar Khalilov