A U.S. military official says conditions are being prepared for potential action against Venezuela as the USS Gerald R. Ford enters the northern Caribbean.
The United States is positioning assets for potential military action against Venezuela as the USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in the northern Caribbean on Sunday, according to a report from NPR. The world’s largest aircraft carrier will join 15,000 service members, including 2,000 Marines aboard an amphibious assault ship.
A U.S. military official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR the “table is being set” for possible military action amid high-level meetings involving administration officials, Congress members, and foreign leaders. The U.S. has already conducted 20 strikes on boats in the region, saying they were smuggling drugs from Venezuela. In August, Washington announced a $50 million reward for the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Officials noted that the carrier’s redeployment from the Mediterranean could be another pressure tactic as Maduro has placed his forces on high alert. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, President Trump said, “I sort of made up my mind” about whether to launch an attack, adding, “I can’t tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that a mission called “Operation Southern Spear” was under way, writing, “This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
Pentagon sources also linked last month’s resignation of Adm. Alvin Holsey to concerns over the legality of recent boat strikes that have killed 80 people.