The United States has stationed more than 10 warships in the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, as part of an unprecedented military buildup targeting drug trafficking operations allegedly linked to Venezuela. The deployment marks the largest concentration of American military assets in the region in decades.
Navy Secretary John Phelan confirmed in a recent Fox News interview that the operation involves extensive firepower designed to protect American territory from what he described as narcotics-based attacks. He emphasized the military’s fundamental responsibility to defend the homeland using its most capable resources.
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group features nine carrier air wings comprising more than 70 aircraft, supported by 11 ships. The force also includes a Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of conducting amphibious operations, with approximately 2,200 Marines based from Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Base New River in North Carolina currently positioned in the Caribbean.
The deployment represents a significant escalation in American military presence near Venezuela, whose president Nicolas Maduro faces allegations of enabling drug trafficking vessels to depart from his country toward United States shores. The Trump administration has designated the Cartel de los Soles, which it claims is headed by Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organization effective November 24, 2025.
The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in the Caribbean Sea on November 16, 2025, with more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft aboard. The carrier joined forces already operating in the region as part of Operation Southern Spear, a newly launched mission announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth focused on dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
Ships currently deployed include the USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship capable of carrying up to six Harrier II attack aircraft. Naval guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and USS Stockdale are operating alongside larger guided-missile cruisers USS Lake Erie and USS Gettysburg. The Ford strike group itself includes escort destroyers USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan, and USS Winston S. Churchill.
Approximately 15,000 troops are now stationed in the region when counting Marines aboard ships and roughly 5,000 personnel at bases in Puerto Rico. The Pentagon has reopened Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico, a facility that had been shuttered since 2004, to support the expanded operations.
F-35 stealth fighters arrived at the former Roosevelt Roads base in September 2025, joined by MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. The base’s 11,000-foot runway provides capability for large transport aircraft including C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes.
Secretary Phelan defended the deployment against critics who argued it represented an overuse of naval resources. He pointed to drug-related deaths as justification, noting that narcotics kill more Americans than have been lost in wars. The administration frames drug trafficking as an attack on the country requiring a military response.
Since early September, United States military strikes have destroyed at least 22 vessels alleged to be carrying drugs, killing at least 83 people. The operations have drawn criticism from those questioning whether the boats were actually transporting narcotics, as the administration has released no evidence supporting its claims that those killed were narco-terrorists.
President Trump told reporters on November 15, 2025, that he had sort of made up his mind regarding Venezuela but could not disclose his decision. He suggested there might be discussions with Maduro, noting that the Venezuelan leader would like to talk.
Rear Admiral Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the Ford carrier strike group, stated the deployment would bolster existing forces to protect national security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere. United States Southern Command Admiral Alvin Holsey described the Ford deployment as a critical step reinforcing American resolve to protect hemispheric security and homeland safety.
The carrier’s capabilities include simultaneous aircraft launch and recovery operations on its flight deck day or night, enabled by Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System technology and Advanced Arresting Gear. The Ford can sustain higher sortie generation rates than legacy carriers, allowing control of air and sea domains for extended periods without relying on land infrastructure.
Experts note the Ford is not well suited for fighting cartels but could effectively intimidate Maduro in efforts to force him from power. Venezuela fields Russian Su-30 Flanker fighter jets and an aging F-16 fleet that analysts say cannot match the Super Hornets operating from the Ford, particularly given support from advanced electronic warfare aircraft and airborne early warning platforms.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Cartel de los Soles, allegedly headed by Maduro and high-ranking regime officials who have corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary, would be designated a foreign terrorist organization. The designation allows the United States military authority to target assets and infrastructure inside Venezuela, though Trump said such action has not been decided.
The Trump administration has also emphasized China’s growing presence in the region as justification for projecting American power. Phelan acknowledged heavy Chinese naval investment and described maintaining carriers and advanced destroyers as essential ways of protecting America.
Phelan discussed his broader vision for strengthening American shipbuilding capabilities during his Fox News appearance. He noted that President Trump remains intensely focused on shipbuilding and has consistently pressed him on the issue. The Navy Secretary said the United States hollowed out its manufacturing base and emphasized the importance of relearning how to produce things domestically.
He suggested the country spent the past decade teaching people to code but should spend the next decade teaching people to use their hands, describing such skills as critically important going forward. His comments reflected broader administration priorities around revitalizing American industrial capacity and defense manufacturing.
The military buildup has sparked divided reactions in Puerto Rico, which hosts a substantial portion of deployed forces. Some officials frame it as symbolizing partnership and security, while others express concern that the island could become drawn into regional conflicts and potential live-fire zones as it was during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Marines began large-scale amphibious warfare maneuvers around August 31, 2025, disembarking hundreds of troops along Puerto Rico’s southern coast as beachgoers watched helicopters and the USS Iwo Jima appear offshore. The exercises were part of training for the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Senate Republicans recently voted to reject legislation that would have placed checks on Trump’s ability to launch attacks against Venezuela without congressional authorization. The vote reflected partisan divisions over executive war powers and military intervention in Latin America.
Former United States Southern Command leader Admiral James Stavridis stated bluntly that the operation is not primarily about drugs but rather about intimidating Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Experts have noted that overdose deaths in America dropped significantly last year from previous highs, with fentanyl mostly crossing from Mexico by land rather than by boats from Venezuela.
Former officials indicated that routes from Venezuela predominantly carry cocaine destined for Europe rather than the United States. This assessment has fueled skepticism about whether counter-narcotics justifications fully explain the scope and nature of the military deployment.
The arrival of the Ford in the Caribbean represents what analysts describe as the largest American military posture in the Western Hemisphere in years. The deployment demonstrates renewed emphasis on forward basing and power projection in the southern approaches to the Atlantic Ocean.
