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.
