The United States is deploying one of its most powerful naval assets, the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier strike group, towards the Caribbean as part of a growing military buildup in Latin America. The move comes amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on drug trafficking in the region and increase pressure on Venezuela’s Nicols Maduro regime.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group, currently stationed in Europe, to reposition under the US Southern Command’s area of responsibility, which covers the Caribbean Sea, Central and South America, and nearby waters. The carrier group, accompanied by its embarked air wing, is expected to enhance the "US force presence" aimed at countering "illicit actors and activities" that threaten the stability and

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