Overview
- The Defense Department said President Trump ordered the carrier strike group under U.S. Southern Command to target transnational criminal networks.
- CSIS estimates the assembled force at 13 naval units with more than 700 missiles, including roughly 180 Tomahawks, and analysts judge air and missile strikes more likely than an invasion.
- U.S. activity in the region has expanded with F-35Bs operating from Puerto Rico, B-52 and B-1B missions, and the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely docking in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Venezuelan authorities responded by declaring Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister persona non grata and suspending gas contracts after the U.S. ship visit.
- The Ford’s redeployment leaves the Mediterranean without a U.S. carrier for now, raising concerns about reduced naval coverage in Europe and the Middle East.