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USS Gerald R. Ford Enters SOUTHCOM as U.S. Expands Counternarcotics Campaign

The deployment intensifies a lethal counternarcotics push under growing Venezuelan mobilization alongside legal scrutiny.

Overview

  • The Navy confirmed the carrier strike group entered the U.S. Southern Command area on Nov. 11 after President Trump ordered the redeployment on Oct. 24.
  • Pentagon figures cite 19 strikes since early September against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with roughly 76 reported deaths.
  • Venezuela announced a nationwide military deployment in response and accuses Washington of seeking regime change, while Russia denounced the boat strikes as illegal.
  • Allied unease has grown, with reports that the United Kingdom curtailed some intelligence sharing over concerns it could be used to enable lethal strikes.
  • Leaked advice from Justice Department advisers reportedly questioned legal grounds for strikes inside Venezuela as officials told Congress no such strikes are currently planned.