The United States has escalated its military presence in the Caribbean, with the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group now operating in the Latin America region.
U.S. officials confirmed the move on Tuesday, calling it part of efforts to disrupt narcotics trafficking and dismantle transnational criminal networks.
The Ford—America’s newest and largest aircraft carrier—joins eight warships, a nuclear submarine, and F-35 fighter jets already deployed in the area.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Washington of using the buildup to try to remove him from power.
The U.S., meanwhile, has offered a fifty-million-dollar reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, alleging his ties to drug trafficking—claims he denies.
