US military deploys aircraft carrier group to South America amid soaring tensions with Venezuela

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump dramatically escalated a US military buildup in the Caribbean on Oct 24 by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, a show of force that far exceeds any past counter-narcotics need and represents Washington’s most muscular move yet in the region.

The deployment is part of Mr Trump’s military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes eight additional warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft.

It is likely to raise concern in the region about the Trump administration’s intent.

The deployment marks a significant escalation amid heightened tensions with Venezuela, whose government Washington has long accused of harbouring drug traffickers and undermining democratic institutions.

“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,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X.

He did not specify when the carrier would be moving to the region, but as of a few days ago, the carrier was travelling via the Strait of Gibraltar and in Europe.

The Ford, which was commissioned in 2017, is the United States’ newest aircraft carrier and the world’s largest, with more than 5,000 sailors aboard.

The US military has carried out 10 strikes against alleged drug vessels, mostly in the Caribbean, since early September, killing about 40 people.

While the Pentagon has not given much information, it has said some of those killed were Venezuelan.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the US is hoping to drive him from power.

Washington in August doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to US$50 million (S$65 million), accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups that Mr Maduro denies.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela’s neighbour, Colombia, have also spiked in recent days, with Mr Trump accusing Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug leader” and a “bad guy” - language Mr Petro’s government says is offensive.

Mr Trump said on Oct 23 that his administration plans to brief the US Congress on operations against drug cartels and that even though he did not need a declaration of war, operations against cartels on land would be next.

“These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle (transnational criminal organisations),” Mr Parnell said.

Military buildup

With only 11 aircraft carriers in the US military’s arsenal, they are a scarce resource and their schedules are usually set well in advance.

The Ford carrier, which includes a nuclear reactor, can hold more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet jets and the E-2 Hawkeye, which can act as an early warning system.

It has an arsenal of missiles, like the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, a medium-range, surface-to-air missile used to counter drones and aircraft.

The Ford also includes sophisticated radars that can help control air traffic and navigation.

The supporting ships, such as the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser Normandy, Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt, include surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. REUTERS