U.S. Launches 'Lança do Sul' as Carrier Enters Caribbean, Raising Regional Tensions

Overview

• The Pentagon announced the Southcom-led operation after the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group reached the region, expanding the largest U.S. deployment there in decades.
• U.S. forces have destroyed about 20–21 suspected trafficking vessels since September, with roughly 80 people reported killed, drawing UN warnings of possible extrajudicial executions.
• President Trump told reporters he has made a decision on Venezuela but did not disclose it, following briefings that, according to U.S. media, included potential options for strikes on Venezuelan soil.
• Venezuela’s defense minister detailed a nationwide mobilization that includes the movement of nearly 20,000 soldiers and preparations by militias in response to the U.S. buildup.
• Trinidad and Tobago scheduled joint exercises with U.S. forces for November 16–21, underscoring growing regional cooperation even as other governments criticize the campaign’s legality and intent.