The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford pictured in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in 2023. US Naval Forces Central Command/Reuters

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group currently stationed in Europe to the Caribbean region amid a massive buildup of US military forces in the region.

The Gerald R. Ford strike group and its associated air wing are being sent to “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism,” Pentagon Press Secretary Sean Parnell said in a statement posted on X.

The buildup of US forces has raised questions about the Trump administration’s intent in the region. The administration has said repeatedly that the military presence is part of a counter-drug trafficking campaign, but President Do

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