Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth deployed a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its complement of guided missile destroyers to the South American coast Friday, according to his top spokesperson.
Sean Parnell, who is Hegseth's assistant defense secretary for public affairs, announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford, its on-board warplanes, and the other ships in its strike group are deploying to "dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations ... and counter narco-terrorism" in the region.
In recent months, President Donald Trump's administration has destroyed at least 10 suspected drug boats off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. The deployment of a carrier strike group represents a significant escalation in that campaign and could foreshadow the beginning of airstrikes against targets in Venezuela. U.S. officials have accused Venezuela's leadership and President Nicolas Maduro of running drug cartels and facilitating mass migration towards the U.S. southern border.
Trump also recently authorized CIA operations on land in Venezuela. Air Force bombers have flown near Venezuela twice in recent days as well.
More: Trump amps up military, CIA action against Venezuela. Here's what to know.
