A U.S. Navy official said, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, will arrive in the northern Caribbean on Sunday amid escalating tensions with Venezuela. The carrier will board an amphibious assault ship with 15,000 service men, including 2,000 Marines.
The official said, the “table is being set” for potential military action but he was not permitted to talk in public. Despite ongoing military drills, administration officials are still holding high-level discussions with foreign leaders and members of Congress.
But whether President Trump would employ military force against Venezuela is still up in the air. So far, the United States has attacked 20 boats in the area, claiming they were transporting drugs that were trafficked from the nation. The U.S. government offered a $50 million reward in August for the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela.
However, insiders informed that the USS Gerald Ford’s arrival—which was withdrawn from the Mediterranean Sea—might be merely another attempt to exert pressure on Maduro, who has placed his own military on high alert.
Trump said to reporters on Air Force One on Friday, “I sort of made up my mind” on whether to launch an assault.”
I can’t tell you what it is,” he said, “but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday on social media that a “mission” was under way called “Operation Southern Spear.”
He said, “This mission secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people, defends our Homeland, and removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere.” “We will defend the Western Hemisphere because it is America’s neighborhood.”
The surge in activity follows the well-publicized resignation of U.S. four-star Adm. Alvin Holsey, who was in charge of the boat strikes, last month.
Two years ahead of schedule, he abruptly departed his position.
Pentagon officials think it was because he protested the attacks on the alleged drug boats which have killed 80 people so far, and targeted vessels that didn’t seem to be displaying any obvious hostile intent.