The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that the U.S. will send the USS Gerald R. Ford to South American waters. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed the carrier and its strike group to join U.S. Southern Command operations. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the mission will detect and disrupt criminal networks threatening U.S. stability and prosperity.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, supported by five destroyers, currently operates in the Mediterranean Sea. Deploying the vessel marks a strong escalation of U.S. military power in a region already tense from recent troop and ship movements in the Caribbean and near Venezuela.
Pentagon Escalates Anti-Drug Strikes in International Waters
Hours before the deployment news, Hegseth announced a tenth U.S. military strike on a suspected narco-boat. The attack killed six people, increasing the total death toll to at least 43 since early September. Officials identified the vessel as part of the Tren de Aragua gang, a criminal network originating in Venezuela.
Hegseth said the strike took place in international waters and was the first to occur at night. He vowed to hunt traffickers across the hemisphere, declaring that U.S. forces would treat drug cartels like terrorist groups. “We will track, target, and kill them—day or night,” he said.
Maduro Condemns U.S. Moves Amid Rising Regional Tension
The Trump administration linked several destroyed vessels to Venezuela and accused Nicolás Maduro’s regime of protecting narcotraffickers. U.S. aircraft, including hypersonic bombers, flew near Venezuela’s coast on Thursday, intensifying speculation about possible intervention.
Maduro praised military and civilian forces for conducting defense drills along 2,000 kilometers of coastline. He claimed full readiness to repel any attack and mocked Washington’s actions on state television, chanting, “Not war, only peace, forever.”
Regional observers argued the buildup sends a political message. Analyst Elizabeth Dickinson said Washington uses “drugs as the excuse” to pressure governments that reject U.S. influence.
Hegseth compared the crackdown to America’s post-9/11 war on terror. Trump declared cartels unlawful combatants and announced an armed conflict against them. When asked about congressional approval, he said, “We’re going to kill the people bringing drugs into our country—they’re going to be dead.”
