Washington– Nation The most advanced aircraft carrier It arrived in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday in a show of US military muscle, raising questions about what the new influx of troops and weapons could signal about the Trump administration’s intentions in South America as it launches military strikes against the United States. Ships suspected of transporting drugs.
the Arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford The other warships, which the Navy announced in a statement, represent an important moment in what the administration is doing He insists it is an anti-drug operation But it is seen as an escalating pressure tactic against the Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
Ford rounds out the largest Accumulation of American firepower In the region for generations. With its arrival, Operation Southern Spear’s mission includes nearly a dozen Navy ships and approximately 12,000 sailors and Marines.
The carrier’s arrival came as the military announced its latest deadly strike on a small boat it claims was involved in transporting illicit drugs. The military’s Southern Command posted a video on the X website on Sunday showing the boat bombing, an attack it said took place on Saturday in international waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean and resulted in the deaths of three men. The army did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
Since early September, such strikes by the United States have been repeated in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific At least 83 people were killed in 21 attacks.
The carrier strike group, which includes squadrons of fighter jets and guided missile destroyers, transited the Anegada Passage near the British Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, the Navy said.
Admiral Paul Lanzilotta, who leads the strike group, said the group would bolster an already large force of US warships “to protect our nation’s security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.”
Adm. Alvin Hulsey, the commander who oversees the Caribbean and Latin America, said in a statement that U.S. forces are “ready to combat transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region.”
Holsey, Who will retire next month After just one year on the job, he said the strike group’s deployment is “a critical step in strengthening our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphere and the integrity of the American homeland.”
In Trinidad and Tobago, which is just 7 miles from Venezuela at its closest point, government officials said troops have begun “exercises” with the US military that will continue most of the week.
Foreign Minister Sean Sobers described the joint exercises as the second in less than a month and said they were aimed at tackling violent crime in the island nation, which has become a stopping point for drug shipments heading to Europe and North America. The Prime Minister was a staunch supporter of US military strikes.
The exercises will include Marines from the 22nd Expeditionary Unit stationed aboard naval ships that have been looming off the coast of Venezuela for months.
The Venezuelan government described the exercises as an act of aggression. It had no immediate comment Sunday on the aircraft carrier’s arrival.
Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on Sunday that US forces are conducting training in Panama, underscoring the administration’s increasing focus on Latin America.
“We’re reactivating our jungle school in Panama. We’ll be ready to work on whatever” Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth needs, he told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
The administration has insisted that the buildup of US forces in the region is focused on stopping the flow of drugs into the United States, but has not released any evidence to support its assertions that those killed on the boats were “narco-terrorists.” Trump did He indicated that military action would expand beyond strikes by seaSaying that the United States “will prevent drugs from arriving by land.”
The United States has Aircraft carriers have been in use for a long time To pressure and deter aggression by other countries because their warplanes can strike targets deep within another country. Some experts say the Ford is not suitable for fighting gangs, but it may be effective A tool of intimidation to Maduro Trying to get him to step down.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States did not recognize Maduro, who was He was widely accused of stealing last year’s electionsAs the legitimate leader of Venezuela. Rubio has described the Venezuelan government as a “transshipment organization” that openly cooperates with those who traffic drugs.
The State Department intends to designate the Cartel de los Solis, or the Sun Cartel, as a foreign terrorist organization, Rubio said in a statement issued Sunday evening. Rubio said the cartel is headed by Maduro and other high-ranking members of his government and is among those “responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for drug trafficking into the United States and Europe.” When the designation comes into effect on November 24, it will be a crime to provide “material support” to the cartel or its members.
Maduro, who faces terrorism and drug charges in the United States, said the US government was “fabricating” a war against him. “The Venezuelan people are ready to defend their homeland against any criminal aggression,” Maduro wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.
The Venezuelan government recently touted a “massive” mobilization of troops and civilians to defend against potential US attacks. Maduro and other PSOE officials also attended rallies this weekend to support the creation of neighborhood committees that will be responsible for increasing membership in the PSOE and promoting the party’s policies.
Trump justified the attacks on drug boats by saying that the United States was there “Armed conflict” with drug gangs While he claims that the boats are operated by Foreign terrorist organizations.
He faced pushback from Leaders in the regionthe Head of Human Rights at the United Nations And US lawmakers, including Republicans, who pushed for it More information about who is being targeted The legal justification for boat strikes.
But Senate Republicans recently voted in favor Reject legislation that would establish choice Regarding Trump’s ability to launch an attack on Venezuela without obtaining authorization from Congress.
Experts disagree on whether or not US warplanes could be used to strike ground targets inside Venezuela. Either way, the 100,000-ton warship is sending a message.
“This is the linchpin of what it means to have US military power again in Latin America,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, senior Andean analyst at the International Crisis Group. He added: “This has raised a lot of concerns in Venezuela, but also throughout the region. I think everyone is watching this with some anticipation to see how willing the United States is to really use military force.”
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Associated Press writers Anselm Gibbs in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Gabriela Molina in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.