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18m ago

USS Gerald R. Ford Enters Caribbean as U.S. Moves to Label Venezuela-Linked Cartel a Terror Group

The carrier-led buildup under Operation Southern Spear extends a counter-narcotics campaign that has sunk small boats and drawn scrutiny because the U.S. has not publicly shown evidence for its 'narco‑terrorist' claims.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses civilians taking an oath to join a state-organized defense network in the Petare neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.
The U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford, front, operates as a joint, multi-domain force with a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, November 13, 2025. Photo: Gladjimi Balisage/US Navy via Getty Images

Overview

  • The Navy confirmed the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group transited the Anegada Passage and joined a force of nearly a dozen ships and about 12,000 personnel in the Caribbean.
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will designate Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization on November 24, alleging Nicolás Maduro and senior figures lead the network.
  • U.S. Southern Command reported another deadly boat strike in the eastern Pacific over the weekend, bringing public tallies to roughly 21–22 attacks and about 83–86 deaths since September.
  • The administration says the targets are drug traffickers, but it has released no corroborating evidence, drawing legal and diplomatic pushback from rights officials and some allied governments.
  • President Trump said the U.S. may hold discussions with Maduro as Washington steps up joint training with Trinidad and Tobago and reactivates jungle training in Panama, while Venezuela mobilizes forces and denounces U.S. actions.