Published On 16/11/2025
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Last update: 23:39 (Mecca time)
The US Southern Command (Southcom) announced on Sunday the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford to the Caribbean Sea as part of anti-drug operations, amid reports of the possibility of launching a military operation against Venezuela.
Southcom, which covers Latin America and the Caribbean, said in a statement that the aircraft carrier group will join forces in the Caribbean Sea, including an amphibious group and a marine infantry unit.
The USS Gerald Ford is the most advanced aircraft carrier in the US Navy and the largest in the world. It carries 4 squadrons of combat aircraft, and is accompanied by 3 missile-launching destroyers.
The revelation of the carrier’s arrival in the Caribbean comes a day after the announcement of naval maneuvers, the second in less than a month, between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.
Venezuelan criticism
On Saturday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro criticized these maneuvers, describing them as irresponsible, in a speech he delivered to a crowd of his supporters in the capital, Caracas.
Since August, Washington has deployed significant military capabilities in the Caribbean region, including six warships, with the stated aim of combating drug smuggling into the United States.
American media reports spoke of plans being discussed by the administration of President Donald Trump to carry out military operations against Venezuela, under the pretext of Maduro’s involvement in the drug trade targeting the United States.
The extent of the supposed US military operations, which US reports say may aim to attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan president, is not clear.
According to these reports, US forces are preparing to issue orders for a possible attack on Venezuela.
On the other hand, the Venezuelan leadership announced the mobilization of its forces throughout the country in anticipation of American attacks.
It is noteworthy that in the past few weeks, American forces targeted 20 boats in international waters under the pretext that they were being used to smuggle drugs, and this resulted in a number of deaths.