Washington: The United States has deployed its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Caribbean as part of intensified operations against transnational drug trafficking networks, according to information available from the U.S. Department of Defense and public briefings by the Southern Command.
Pentagon officials said the move aims to strengthen maritime surveillance and interdiction missions across the Caribbean and Central American waters. The deployment follows a series of U.S. strikes on suspected narcotics vessels linked to organised criminal groups in the region.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the deployment reflects Washington’s commitment to “protect regional stability and counter international crime syndicates.” The operation also targets the Tren de Aragua network, a Venezuela-based criminal group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States earlier this year.
The announcement prompted strong objections from Venezuela with President Nicolás Maduro accusing Washington of escalating military tensions under the pretext of anti-drug enforcement. Caracas described the move as a “provocation” and claimed it undermines regional peace.
Meanwhile, several policy experts in the U.S. have cautioned that the use of naval force without congressional approval could raise constitutional questions under Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which vests war powers in Congress.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest warship, had previously been deployed in the Mediterranean before being reassigned to the Western Hemisphere earlier this month.
