(The Center Square) — The Navy’s largest and newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, has arrived in the Caribbean region, according to spotters in the region.

U.S. Naval Institute News cited boat spotters in Puerto Rico who eyed the destroyer, USS Bainbridge, on Tuesday. The Bainbridge, part of the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group, was traveling with the carrier.

The arrival of the Ford in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility signals a major buildup of naval and military presence in the region as the Trump administration continues targeting marine vessels suspected of trafficking narcotics headed for the U.S.

Over the weekend, The Center Square reported that several naval ships are already in the region, in

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group deployed in August, carrying

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