U.S. Deploys Carrier Strike Group to Latin America
(MENAFN) The U.S. military has deployed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its associated air wing to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed Friday via social media.
This region encompasses Latin America south of Mexico, along with the surrounding waters of Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean Sea.
Parnell outlined that the move is part of efforts to "support the President's directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland." He added on X that the presence of these forces would "enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs."
Experts see this step as a signal that the Trump administration may expand its campaign against drug cartels, potentially shifting focus from disrupting small vessels in international waters to targeting land-based operations throughout Latin America.
The U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean is now the largest in the region in over 30 years, marking a significant escalation since the 1989 American invasion of Panama, according to a report by media.
Earlier Friday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the sinking of a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in international Caribbean waters. The strike killed all six individuals aboard, marking the first nighttime operation targeting a narcotics vessel and the 10th such mission since September. The total death toll from these operations now exceeds 40.
On October 2, the Trump administration informed Congress that the U.S. is engaged in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels labeled as terrorist organizations. As such, cartel members will be treated as "unlawful combatants."
The escalation has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who leads the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated that the U.S. government has "offered no credible legal justification, evidence or intelligence" to support the strikes.
Internationally, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the U.S. of using cartel threats as an excuse to pursue regime change and expand its military footprint in the region. Colombian President Gustavo Petro further condemned the U.S. strikes, labeling the killing of drug suspects at sea as "murder."
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
