USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Arrives in Caribbean in Buildup Near Venezuela

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, entered the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, capping the largest U.S. military buildup in the region in generations as the Trump administration increases pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, NBC News (via the Associated Press), NPR and Al Jazeera reported.

NPR and Al Jazeera reported that the Ford’s strike group brings at least 4,000 sailors, and NPR said the lead ship carries “dozens” of aircraft. The Associated Press reported that the buildup now totals around 12,000 troops on nearly a dozen Navy ships. The deployment supports what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has named Operation Southern Spear, NBC and NPR reported. Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the strike group, said it would help “protect our nation’s security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.”

The administration says the effort is aimed at stopping drugs from reaching the United States. Venezuela’s government calls it a pretext. Al Jazeera reported that Caracas views the moves as a way to force Mr. Maduro from power, and the AP noted that Mr. Maduro has said Washington is “fabricating” a war against him. Mr. Maduro faces narco-terrorism charges in the United States, NBC and NPR reported.

Strikes on small boats are the visible part of the campaign. Since early September, U.S. strikes on boats have killed some 80 people, according to the AP and Al Jazeera, in about 20 attacks. The administration has released no evidence that those killed were “narcoterrorists,” the AP, NPR and Al Jazeera reported. NPR said lawmakers and legal experts have indicated the strikes are likely illegal under U.S. and international law, and Al Jazeera said international law and human rights experts describe them as extrajudicial executions.

The next step is unclear. The AP reported that Mr. Trump has said the U.S. would “stop the drugs coming in by land.” Some experts told the AP that a carrier is ill-suited to fighting cartels but could be an effective tool of intimidation to push Mr. Maduro to step down, and the AP said Venezuela’s government has publicized what it calls a “massive” mobilization of troops and civilians to defend against a possible U.S. attack. Al Jazeera cited a Reuters report that senior administration officials held three White House meetings this week to discuss options for possible military action.