CaliToday (12/11/2025): The USS Gerald R. Ford's arrival is part of a lethal U.S. anti-drug campaign that has already killed 76, fractured alliances, and drawn Russian condemnation.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, arrived in Latin America as part of a stated anti-drug operation (Jonathan KLEIN)
CARACAS, VENEZUELA – A volatile military standoff is escalating in the Caribbean after the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived in the region Tuesday, prompting Venezuela to announce its own "massive" deployment of 200,000 troops in response.
The aircraft carrier strike group entered the operational area of the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, which covers Latin America and the Caribbean. While Washington maintains the deployment is part of a nearly three-week-old anti-drug trafficking operation, Caracas fears it is a pretext for a full-scale invasion.
The deployment "will bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities," said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
But Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the U.S. does not recognize as the country's legitimate leader, accused the Trump administration of "fabricating a war."
"If we as a republic, as a people, go into an armed struggle... we're ready to win," Maduro declared on Tuesday.
A Lethal Operation and Fractured Alliances
The tension is not just about the carrier's presence. It is the explosive result of a broader U.S. military campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which includes F-35 stealth warplanes in Puerto Rico and six U.S. Navy ships.
The core of the crisis stems from a series of deadly U.S. strikes.
According to U.S. figures, American forces have attacked approximately 20 vessels in international waters since early September, killing at least 76 people.
The Trump administration has justified these actions by claiming the U.S. is engaged in a formal "armed conflict" with Latin American drug cartels, which it has designated as "terrorist" groups.
This aggressive posture has drawn sharp criticism and begun to fracture the U.S. coalition in the region:
Colombia Pulls Support: In a stunning rebuke on Tuesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the suspension of his country's intelligence exchange with Washington. Petro stated the pause "will remain in force as long as the missile attacks on boats continue."
Human Rights Concerns: Human rights experts and allied nations have raised alarms, noting that Washington has provided no public evidence that the destroyed vessels were smuggling drugs. Critics argue the attacks amount to extrajudicial killings.
United Kingdom Silence: The United Kingdom, a key U.S. intelligence partner, refused to comment on a CNN report that it had also stopped sharing intelligence on drug-smuggling vessels over concerns about the lethal strikes. A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated only, "The US is our closest partner," and "Decisions on this are a matter for the US."
Venezuela and Russia Respond
In Caracas, the U.S. operation is viewed as a "regime change plot in disguise."
On Tuesday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino announced a "massive deployment" of 200,000 troops from land, sea, air, and civilian militia forces to counter the "imperial threats."
While no unusual military activity was seen in the capital, Padrino sought to assure the nation it was "safeguarded." He then echoed the concerns of U.S. allies regarding the strikes.
"They are murdering defenseless people, whether or not they are drug traffickers, executing them without due process," the minister said.
The escalation has also drawn in other global powers. Russia, a key ally of Maduro's government, denounced the U.S. strikes as "unacceptable" and "lawless."
"This is how... lawless countries act, as well as those who consider themselves above the law," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in televised remarks, dismissing the "pretext of fighting drugs."
The backdrop for the conflict remains the political stalemate between the two nations. The Trump administration has dismissed Maduro's last two reelections as fraudulent and openly seeks his ouster, with President Trump stating on November 2 that Maduro's days "were numbered."
While military experts have noted that Venezuela's outdated arsenal would be at a severe disadvantage against the U.S., the new, lethal nature of the U.S. campaign and the fracturing of regional alliances has made the situation highly unpredictable.
CaliToday.Net