 "The Pentagon building is seen in Arlington, Virginia, US, on October 9, 2020. Reuters File")
The Trump administration has ordered the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Western Hemisphere as part of its ongoing campaign against suspected drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean, the Pentagon said on Friday.
“In support of the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defence of the Homeland, the Secretary of War has directed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and embarked carrier air wing to the US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR),” Fox News quoted chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell as saying in a statement.
“The enhanced US force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” he added.
“These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.”
On Thursday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that a recent US strike on a vessel allegedly operated by members of Tren de Aragua (TdA) — a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) — had killed six suspected narco-terrorists.
The deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group forms part of President Trump’s expanding military buildup in the Caribbean, which now includes eight additional warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, and F-35 fighter aircraft.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe move is expected to heighten concern across the region over the administration’s broader strategic intent.
Since early September, the US military has conducted 10 strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, mostly in the Caribbean, killing around 40 people, reported Reuters, citing the Pentagon.
While officials have released few details, they confirmed that some of those killed were Venezuelan nationals.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of seeking to overthrow him. In August, the US doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, alleging his involvement in drug trafficking and criminal networks — claims the Venezuelan leader strongly denies.
Analysts note that the scale of the US military presence far exceeds what would normally be required to target individual drug operations by sea or air.
Commissioned in 2017, the USS Gerald R. Ford is the newest and largest aircraft carrier in the world, with over 5,000 sailors aboard. The nuclear-powered vessel can carry more than 75 military aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornets and E-2 Hawkeyes, which serve as airborne early warning systems.
The carrier also carries an array of advanced weaponry, including Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSMs) — medium-range, surface-to-air missiles designed to intercept enemy aircraft and drones.
With inputs from agencies