A US naval strike force centred around the world's largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford, has arrived in the Caribbean, the US Navy has confirmed.
The arrival of the strike group, ordered to the region by President Donald Trump last month, coincides with ongoing strikes against alleged drug boats and rising tensions with Venezuela.
To date, the US has conducted at least 19 strikes against clandestine boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of at least 76 individuals.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other officials have accused the US of 'fabricating' a crisis aimed at destabilizing the leftist government in Venezuela.
In an official statement, the US Navy noted that the strike group entered the area of responsibility of US Southern Command on November 11. This includes the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, which is equipped with more than 4,000 sailors and various aircraft, along with guided-missile destroyers and other vessels.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell remarked that the deployment enhances US capabilities to detect, monitor, and combat illicit activities threatening US safety and prosperity, particularly in the context of narcotics trafficking.
This carrier group joins extensive military assets already stationed in the region, including thousands of troops, a nuclear-powered submarine, and military aircraft based in Puerto Rico.
This collective military presence represents one of the largest US deployments in Latin America in decades.
The US government has continued its campaign of strikes against alleged drug boats in the region, asserting that such operations are critical to curbing the influx of narcotics entering the United States.
Earlier this week, the US confirmed two additional strikes in the Pacific, which resulted in six fatalities.
The operations have escalated tensions with the governments of Colombia and Venezuela, prompting concerns from some observers regarding potential human rights violations and due process infringements.
During a recent interview, President Trump downplayed suggestions of a potential military intervention in Venezuela but did not dismiss the possibility entirely, stating, 'I'm not gonna tell you what I'm gonna do with Venezuela.'
Trump maintains that the airstrikes against drug boats are justified, citing a significant societal cost associated with drug trafficking, asserting that 'every single boat that you see that's shot down kills 25,000 on drugs and destroys families all over our country.'
