Amid growing concerns that Washington’s anti-drug campaign could evolve into a new "war on terror" — or a prelude to toppling Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — the US military on Friday deployed the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford to waters off South America. The Pentagon said the move aims to expand operations against drug traffickers and "illicit actors," even as the buildup in the Caribbean and near Venezuela deepens speculation about the Trump administration’s broader intentions in the region.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R Ford and its strike group to move under the US Southern Command to "bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post.
The USS Ford, currently stationed in the Mediterranean Sea with three destroyers, will take several days to reach South America, news agency Associated Press reported.
The announcement followed Hegseth’s statement earlier on Friday that the US military carried out its tenth strike on a vessel suspected of drug trafficking, killing six people in the Caribbean Sea. Hegseth said the vessel was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.
In a post on social media, he said the strike occurred overnight and marked the second time the Trump administration linked its operations to the gang, which originated in a Venezuelan prison.
The strikes, which began in September, have increased from one every few weeks to three this week, killing at least 43 people so far. Two recent strikes were conducted in the eastern Pacific Ocean, expanding the area of operations to major drug-smuggling routes.
A 20-second black-and-white video posted online showed a small boat stationary on the water before being hit by a projectile, resulting in an explosion. The footage ended before the aftermath was visible.
Hegseth said the strike took place in international waters and was the first conducted at night.
"If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth said. "Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”
Drug raids or regime pressure?
The latest strike resembled the first one announced last month, which also targeted the Tren de Aragua gang. The Trump administration has labeled the group a foreign terrorist organization, blaming it for violence and drug trafficking in several cities.
While the origin of the latest boat was not confirmed, officials said that at least four of the targeted vessels came from Venezuela.
The strikes, along with a significant US military buildup in the Caribbean and near Venezuela, have led to speculation that Washington could be preparing to act against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces narcoterrorism charges in the US
On Thursday, the US military flew two supersonic bombers near Venezuela’s coast.
The Trump administration says its operations are aimed at stopping drug trafficking into the US, but Maduro claims they are part of an effort to remove him from power.
Maduro praised Venezuelan forces and civilian militias for conducting defense drills along the country’s 2,000-kilometer coastline.
"In the span of six hours, 100% of all the country’s coastline was covered in real time, with all the equipment and heavy weapons to defend all of Venezuela’s coasts if necessary,” Maduro said on state television.
Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the US actions appeared to be more about political influence than drugs.
"An expression that I’m hearing a lot is ‘Drugs are the excuse.’ And everyone knows that,” Dickinson said, as quoted by news agency AP. "The messaging here is that the US is intent on pursuing specific objectives. And it will use military force against leaders and countries that don’t fall in line.”
Trump’s Drug War: Echoes of war on terror
Hegseth has compared the strikes on drug traffickers to the US war on terror after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
President Donald Trump recently declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and said the US was in an "armed conflict” with them, invoking the same legal authority used after 9/11.
Asked by reporters on Thursday if he would seek a congressional declaration of war against the cartels, Trump said, "I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We’re going to kill them, you know? They’re going to be like, dead.”
Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about Trump ordering military strikes without congressional approval or detailed explanations. Democrats have said the operations violate international law.
"I’ve never seen anything quite like this before,” said Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., a former Pentagon and State Department official. "We have no idea how far this is going, how this could potentially bring in, you know, is it going to be boots on the ground? Is it going to be escalatory in a way where we could see us get bogged down for a long time?”
But Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida supported Trump’s actions. "It’s about time,” he said.
While Trump "obviously hates war,” he is "not afraid to use the US military in targeted operations,” Diaz-Balart said, as cited by the news agency AP. "I would not want to be in the shoes of any of these narco-cartels.”