The United States has deployed its new aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Caribbean to step up efforts to curb drug trafficking in the region. The carrier’s arrival will significantly enhance surveillance and strike capabilities there; it is accompanied by several dozen stealth-capable combat aircraft, surveillance planes, and multiple support warships.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the naval task force will strengthen the ability to detect, monitor, and interdict illicit activity. The administration has already carried out strikes on small drug-running boats and is now planning to target land-based facilities as well.
From the White House, officials have said the next phase of the campaign will focus on land-based targets of the trafficking networks — a strategy President Donald Trump has pledged to pursue. He vowed a stepped-up, phased response intended to deter drug traffickers.
The operation reportedly includes support from the CIA. However, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sharply criticized the deployment, warning that such a military presence could spark conflict in the region.
U.S. officials contend that certain vessels have been identified as terrorist or terrorist-supporting assets, and therefore striking them is both logical and lawful. How the carrier task force and associated military activities evolve going forward is likely to attract intense international attention.