US Sending Aircraft Carrier Strike Group To Caribbean

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean. This move supports President Donald Trump's initiative to dismantle "Transnational Criminal Organizations" and counter narco-terrorism, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell's post on X. The carrier group, currently stationed in Europe, will move to the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility, which includes Latin America and the Caribbean.

"These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs," Parnell wrote.

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is expected to take several days to reach the Caribbean, where it will bolster U.S. efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and dismantle criminal organizations in the region.

The Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, is accompanied by several destroyers, including the USS Mahan and USS Bainbridge. The deployment aims to enhance U.S. capabilities to detect and disrupt illicit activities that threaten U.S. security in the Western Hemisphere. The strike group will join other U.S. Navy vessels and Air Force assets already in the region.

The Trump administration has intensified military operations against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. Since September, U.S. forces have targeted ten boats, resulting in the deaths of 43 individuals. The legality of these strikes has been questioned by lawmakers, with concerns about their justification under U.S. Title 10 and the classification of drug traffickers as "unlawful combatants."

President Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel and authorized covert operations in Venezuela. This has led to increased scrutiny and a proposed war powers resolution by Senators Adam Schiff, Tim Kaine, and Rand Paul to limit U.S. military involvement in Venezuela.