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The US aircraft carrier South America deployment marks the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s campaign against drug networks in the region. The Pentagon confirmed Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to move into the U.S. Southern Command zone.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the deployment aims to “detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors” threatening U.S. security and prosperity. The Ford, currently docked in Croatia, carries nine aircraft squadrons and five destroyers. Officials have not disclosed how many ships will join the mission or how soon they will arrive off South America.
Rising U.S. presence in Latin waters
The US aircraft carrier South America deployment adds to an expanding military buildup in the Caribbean and off Venezuela. More than 6,000 sailors and Marines are already deployed across eight warships in the region. The arrival of the Ford strike group could raise that number by nearly 4,500 personnel.
Recent U.S. strikes have targeted boats accused of smuggling drugs. On Friday, Hegseth announced the tenth attack since early September, killing six alleged traffickers linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. “If you are a narco-terrorist, we will hunt you down and kill you,” Hegseth said on social media.
Operations expand beyond Venezuela
The Trump administration has increased strikes from one every few weeks to three this week, bringing the total death toll to at least 43. Two recent operations occurred in the eastern Pacific, where most global cocaine routes begin in Colombia. On Friday, Washington also imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his family over alleged drug ties.
Experts say the rapid escalation goes beyond narcotics enforcement. Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group noted, “Drugs are the excuse. Everyone knows that. The real message is power projection.”
Venezuelan response and U.S. goals
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned the U.S. operations as attempts to topple his government. He praised military exercises covering 2,000 kilometers of coastline, saying Venezuela is ready to defend itself “with all equipment and heavy weapons.”
Trump, comparing his drug war to the post-9/11 campaign against terrorism, declared cartels “unlawful combatants.” He told reporters, “We’re going to kill people bringing drugs into our country.” Some lawmakers have voiced concern that Trump’s actions lack congressional approval, warning of an open-ended military conflict.
