While the political tension between the US and Venezuela continues, a step has been taken by the administration of US President Donald Trump to increase the country’s military presence in South America. In a statement made by US Department of Defense Spokesman Sean Parnell, it was stated that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its accompanying air wing would be deployed to the region.
Parnell said, “US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has dispatched the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group and its embarked air wing to the area of responsibility of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to support President Trump’s directive to counter narco-terrorism under the goals of eliminating international criminal organizations and homeland defense. The enhanced US military presence in SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility will strengthen our capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illegal actors and activities that jeopardize the security and welfare of the country and our security in the Western Hemisphere.”
Parnell did not provide a detail on when the aircraft carrier would depart for the region. It is known that the USS Gerald R. Ford was last docked in Split, Croatia on October 21.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, which joined the US Navy’s inventory in 2017, is considered the US’s newest and the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Equipped with a nuclear reactor, the ship has a capacity to carry approximately 5,000 sailors and can host more than 75 combat aircraft. It is also known that the aircraft carrier has medium-range advanced missile systems capable of striking air targets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and combat aircraft. The US currently has 8 warships, 1 nuclear submarine, and F-35 type combat aircraft in the Caribbean.
The US conducted 10 attacks in its fight against drug trafficking
As part of its fight against international criminal organizations and drug trafficking, the US military has conducted a total of 10 attacks since September, mostly in the Caribbean, against maritime vessels alleged to be carrying drugs. In statements made by officials, it was claimed that some of the individuals killed in the attacks were Venezuelan.
