U.S. deploys Gerald R. Ford carrier to Caribbean to target drug cartels and narco-terrorism

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a US aircraft carrier strike group to move from Europe to the Caribbean. The strike group is Gerald R. Ford, along with its air wing, and it is being sent to “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism,” Pentagon Press Secretary Sean Parnell said in a statement posted on X.

The Ford strike group docked near the harbor of Split, Croatia on October 21, meaning it is over 5,000 miles away from the Caribbean and will take several days to reach its destination, as per the report by CNN. The US military buildup in the region has sparked questions about the Trump administration’s intentions.

US military buildup in Caribbean

The administration claims the presence is part of a counter-drug trafficking campaign, but CNN reported that President Donald Trump has also considered strikes inside Venezuela to weaken leader Nicolas Maduro. Gerald R. Ford is called a “first-in-class” carrier and is described by the Navy as the largest warship ever built in the world.

US drug strike and deaths

On Friday morning, Hegseth said the US conducted an overnight strike on a boat operated by a drug cartel in the Caribbean, as stated by CNN. The strike killed six people, according to Hegseth, bringing the total targeted boats to 10 and total deaths to 43 since the US started the campaign last month. The US military campaign in the Caribbean is ongoing, targeting narco-terrorism and drug smuggling operations while also keeping regional options open regarding Venezuela.

FAQs

Q1. Why is the US sending Gerald R. Ford carrier to the Caribbean?

The US is sending the carrier to fight drug cartels and narco-terrorism, the Pentagon said.

Q2. How many people have died in the US Caribbean drug strikes?

So far, 43 people have died and 10 boats have been targeted since the campaign began.