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1h ago

U.S. Masses Carrier Group Off Venezuela as Maritime Strikes Raise Regime-Change Concerns

The White House casts the buildup as a counternarcotics mission, a rationale critics say lacks evidence.

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This handout from the US Department of Defense shows the US Navy's Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), front, USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), right, USS Mahan (DDG 72), left, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornets assigned to Strike Fighter Squadrons 31, 37, 87, and 213, operating as a joint, multi-domain force with a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, on November 13, 2025 at an undisclosed location in the Atlantic Ocean. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, entered an area under control of the US Naval Forces Southern Command, which encompasses Latin America and the Caribbean, the command said in a statement on November 11. (Photo by Gladjimi Balisage / DoD / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / DoD / Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Balisage" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by GLADJIMI BALISAGE/DoD/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in the Caribbean with about 15,000 U.S. personnel and accompanying warships and aircraft, marking the largest U.S. show of force in the region in decades.
  • Since September, the administration has publicized the destruction of 21 vessels it says were trafficking drugs across the Caribbean and Pacific, killings that news outlets tally at 83 as questions persist over targeting intelligence and legal authority.
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated the Cártel de los Soles a terrorist organization, the U.S. alleges Nicolás Maduro leads the group, and a $50 million reward is on offer for information leading to his arrest.
  • Analysts report that options under discussion range from strikes on targets inside Venezuela to assassinating regime insiders, while Trump has not ruled out deploying troops and has reportedly authorized CIA covert operations.
  • Messaging has been mixed as Trump said the U.S. may be in talks with Maduro, regional governments have issued guarded reactions, and experts warn military pressure may aim to force fractures in the regime rather than solely curb trafficking.