The US Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday (November 11) that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has arrived in the Latin American region to initiate military operations aimed at combating transnational crime and drug trafficking. At the same time, the Venezuelan government announced a large-scale military mobilization to respond to the increasing regional military deployments by the US.
In a statement, US Department of Defense spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford will “enhance the US military’s detection, monitoring, and combat capabilities in the Southern Command’s area to disrupt drug trafficking and transnational criminal activities, ensuring US homeland security and Western Hemisphere stability.” He added that this deployment will “strengthen existing capabilities, disrupt drug trafficking activities, and weaken and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.”
US Southern Command Commander Alvin Holsey emphasized that the arrival of the aircraft carrier strike group symbolizes the US’ “firm commitment to maintaining security in the Western Hemisphere” and stated that the US military will confront any forces threatening regional stability with “precise and forceful actions.”
The USS Gerald R. Ford is the United States’ newest and largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier commissioned in 2017, with a full load displacement of over 100,000 tons and the capacity to carry about 75 aircraft and 5,000 personnel. Since its commissioning, it has participated in numerous overseas deployments and joint exercises, being considered a core symbol of US global power.
As early as 2020, the US Department of Justice accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of colluding with drug trafficking groups and offered a $15 million reward for his capture. In August of this year, the White House increased the bounty to $50 million.
On October 15th, President Trump confirmed in an interview outside the White House that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct secret operations in Venezuela, emphasizing that “we are performing well in maritime operations, but ground strikes may be the next step. We will take all necessary measures to stop drug trafficking groups.”
During an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” earlier this month, Trump once again discussed the situation in Venezuela, stating that Maduro’s days in power “may be numbered,” but also downplayed the possibility of US military ground operations in the country.
In response to the US military deployment, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced in Caracas the commencement of a two-day joint land, sea, and air military exercise mobilizing nearly 200,000 soldiers. He described this as a defensive measure against “US threats,” aimed at strengthening command, control, and communication capabilities.
López emphasized during a live broadcast on the state-owned Venezuelan Television (VTV) that the military exercise is part of Maduro’s “Plan Independencia 200,” aimed at jointly maintaining sovereignty with military and police forces.
He also accused the US of “interference under the guise of combating drugs,” attempting to overthrow the Maduro regime and seize the country’s oil resources. Maduro himself has denied US accusations and repeatedly claimed that the US military buildup aims to remove him from power.
The Trump administration has stressed that US military operations are targeted at drug trafficking and transnational crime. Since September, US forces have destroyed several ships suspected of drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela and surrounding waters, carrying out at least 19 airstrikes, predominantly in the Caribbean Sea and along the Pacific coast of Latin America.
Additionally, the US Senate recently rejected a proposal to limit military actions against Venezuela, allowing the White House to continue advancing related policies.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted on the X social platform, stating that drug traffickers and smuggling organizations are “waging war on the US border and people,” likening them to “Al-Qaeda terrorists.” He warned that “these drug terrorists will have no place in the entire hemisphere.”
(Translated and rewritten based on a report by The Epoch Times)