Incredible amounts of U.S. firepower are coalescing in the Caribbean as President Trump plays geopolitical chicken with Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

The big picture: U.S. Southern Command, which is executing Trump's strikes and would oversee operations in Venezuela, is now at the heart of the action after decades of Pentagon priority paid to the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.

Driving the news: America's largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is steaming toward the region. Observers are tracking its progress via satellite imagery. • The Ford and its escorts bring with them offensive and defensive punch — such as fighter, transport and early warning aircraft; helicopters; missiles; and jamming-and-spying tools — as well as thousands of troops. • Vessels already in the region in

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