The United States Navy released images of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) conducting flight maneuvers as it advances toward the Caribbean. This is the largest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier in the world, which will arrive in the coming days to join the military fleet operating in the region under Southern Command as part of combat missions against drug trafficking.
According to the U.S. Navy, the exercises aboard the ship aim to maintain "combat effectiveness, lethality, and readiness in the 6th Fleet's area of operations." Gerald R. Ford crossed the Strait of Gibraltar at the beginning of the week and is heading toward waters near Venezuela, escorted by destroyers, support ships, and combat aircraft.
A show of force against Maduro's regime
This movement marks the largest U.S. naval deployment in the Caribbean since the Gulf War and comes amid rising tensions with Nicolás Maduro's regime, which Washington accuses of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, a criminal organization dedicated to trafficking cocaine to the United States.
The U.S. administration considers these networks a direct threat to national security. In this context, the Pentagon reported that the Marine Corps recently conducted landing and infiltration exercises in Puerto Rico as part of its training for high-complexity operations.
El portaaviones Gerald R. Ford realizó maniobras de vuelo mientras acelera su marcha hacia Venezuela
Maneuvers in Puerto Rico and Southern Command deployment
Southern Command confirmed on its official X account that the Twenty-Second Marine Expeditionary Unit carried out "training operations in Puerto Rico" with air support from UH-1Y and Apache helicopters. The published images show troops moving in Polaris MRZR tactical vehicles, securing positions, and conducting urban combat and infiltration exercises.
Meanwhile, live-fire maneuvers were reported from an assault ship in the Caribbean, which analysts interpret as a direct signal to the Venezuelan regime.
Washington seeks to halt the advance of regional drug trafficking
Although the White House has denied that it is planning a direct military offensive, Gerald R. Ford's advance and the intensification of operations in the Caribbean make it clear that the United States will not tolerate the expansion of drug trafficking supported by authoritarian regimes.
El portaaviones Gerald R. Ford realizó maniobras de vuelo mientras acelera su marcha hacia Venezuela
The deployment is part of a maximum pressure strategy against Maduro, combining diplomatic, financial, and military tools to dismantle criminal networks linked to political power in Caracas.
With this maneuver, Washington seeks to reaffirm its regional leadership and send an unequivocal message: hemispheric security remains a strategic priority for the United States.
