USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in Caribbean amid US buildup near Venezuela

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
16 Nov 2025 22:56

The USS Gerald R. Ford has entered the Caribbean as part of Operation Southern Spear, marking a major US military buildup near Venezuela under Trump’s narcoterrorism policy.

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The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) steams in the Atlantic Ocean during a simulated straits transit with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) in the Atlantic Ocean, October 9, 2022 (US Navy)

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States’ most advanced aircraft carrier, entered the Caribbean Sea on Sunday in a major show of force, joining a growing US military buildup near Venezuela. The move has raised questions about the Trump administration’s broader strategy in South America, especially as it continues to carry out military strikes on vessels suspected of transporting drugs.

The US Navy, in a statement, confirmed the carrier’s arrival, marking a significant step in Operation Southern Spear, an operation launched under the guise of countering drugs. Nearly a dozen warships and around 12,000 sailors and Marines have been deployed to the region so far. The Gerald R. Ford’s presence rounds off what has become the largest US maritime buildup in the region in decades.

The carrier strike group, which includes guided-missile destroyers and squadrons of fighter jets, transited the Anegada Passage near the British Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, according to the Navy.

Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, commander of the strike group, said the deployment aims to “protect our nation’s security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.”

Adm. Alvin Holsey, who oversees US forces in Latin America and the Caribbean, called the deployment “a critical step in reinforcing our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphere and the safety of the American Homeland.”

Operation Southern Spear raises questions about Trump’s Venezuela policy

Though the administration describes the effort as a counterdrug mission, the scale of the deployment has led many observers to view it as part of a larger Trump Venezuela strategy aimed at increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and enforcing regime change.

Since early September, US forces have conducted at least 20 attacks on small boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 80 people. The White House claims these boats were operated by narcoterrorist networks, though it has not released specific evidence to support those claims.

US President Donald Trump has suggested future operations could extend beyond maritime strikes, stating that the US would also “stop the drugs coming in by land.”

Joint US-Trinidad military drills spark regional tension

In Trinidad and Tobago, which lies just seven miles off Venezuela’s coast, officials confirmed they have begun joint training exercises with US troops. The drills, which will continue through the week, involve Marines from the 22nd Expeditionary Unit stationed aboard Navy vessels off the Venezuelan coast.

Foreign Minister Sean Sobers described the exercises as the second set in under a month, emphasizing their focus on tackling violent crime and drug trafficking in the region.

The country’s prime minister has publicly supported the US military strikes, as Trinidad remains a known stopover point for narcotics en route to Europe and North America.

Venezuela condemns buildup as aggression, warns of US attack

Venezuela’s government, which has labeled the exercises an “act of aggression,” had no immediate comment on the ship's arrival. However, it recently announced a “massive” mobilization of troops and civilians in preparation for potential US attacks.

Maduro, who faces narcoterrorism charges in the US, has accused Washington of “fabricating” a war to justify military actions against his government.

The Trump administration does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called Venezuela a “transshipment organization” for drug trafficking and reiterated that the US sees the Venezuelan government as complicit in the narcotics trade.

Critics question legality of narcoterrorism strikes at sea

The Trump administration’s legal rationale, that the US is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels, has prompted backlash from human rights groups and members of Congress, including some Republicans. Critics have demanded more transparency on the identities of those targeted and the legal basis for the maritime strikes.

Despite the pushback, the Senate recently rejected a proposal that would have restricted Trump’s authority to initiate military action against Venezuela without congressional approval.

While experts are divided on whether US airpower might be used to strike land targets inside Venezuela, analysts agree that the 100,000-ton aircraft carrier sends a powerful message.

“This is the anchor of what it means to have US military power once again in Latin America,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the Andes at the International Crisis Group. “And it has raised a lot of anxieties in Venezuela but also throughout the region... everyone is watching this with sort of bated breath to see just how willing the US is to really use military force.”