DefenseUSS Gerald R Ford Deployed to Caribbean for Counter-Narcotics Operations - Trump administation
The US Navy has repositioned the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78) to the Caribbean as part of a broader campaign against drug trafficking in the region, said the Trump Administration.
The deployment comes alongside a task force that includes eight additional warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 fighter jets, following recent targeted strikes on vessels linked to narcotics operations.
US officials state that the expanded military presence is intended to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell indicated that the reinforcements are aimed at enhancing existing interdiction capabilities in the region.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that six individuals described as ‘narco-terrorists’ were killed during recent operations. The latest action follows a series of ten operations targeting suspected traffickers since September, underscoring a sustained campaign.
The USS Gerald R Ford, capable of carrying up to 90 aircraft including F/A-18E/F, F-35C, EA-18G, and E-2 Hawkeye, was last publicly tracked off the Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea three days prior to its redeployment.
The aircraft carrier is the first of its class, developed to replace the Nimitz class, and features some advances such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).
US President Donald Trump stated that the administration has legal authority for targeted strikes, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged a halt to drug shipments to the United States. Analysts suggest the operation also serves to pressure the Venezuelan government under Nicolás Maduro.
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