The Pentagon ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to deploy near South America.
Secretary Pete Hegseth assigned the carrier to U.S. Southern Command to strengthen regional operations.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted the deployment on social media.
The strike group includes five destroyers alongside the carrier.
The USS Ford currently operates in the Mediterranean Sea before redeploying.
Officials described this move as a significant escalation of military force in the region.
The Caribbean Sea and waters near Venezuela already host an unusually large U.S. buildup.
Intensified Strikes Aim at Drug Traffickers
Hegseth announced the military conducted its tenth strike on a suspected drug-running vessel.
That strike left six people dead, officials said.
The strikes that began in early September now total at least 43 deaths.
Hegseth blamed the latest struck vessel on the Tren de Aragua gang.
The administration has linked Tren de Aragua to previous operations this month.
Officials said the latest strike occurred in international waters during nighttime.
Hegseth boasted the attack marked the first nocturnal strike of this campaign.
He pledged to map networks, track suspects, and kill narco-terrorists when necessary.
The administration treats narco-traffickers like terrorist organizations, he declared.
Venezuela Focus and Wider Strategic Message
The U.S. tied several targeted boats to Venezuela, officials said.
The administration designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
The strikes and military buildup fueled speculation about attempts to remove Nicolás Maduro.
The U.S. flew two hypersonic heavy bombers near Venezuela’s coast this week.
The administration insists it fights drug trafficking into the United States.
Maduro called the operations attempts to force him from power.
Maduro praised security forces and militias for coastline defence exercises.
He said they covered roughly 2,000 kilometres of Venezuelan coast in six hours.
Maduro then repeated calls for peace, mocking U.S. rhetoric in televised remarks.
Regional Analysts Say the Message Matters More Than Drugs
Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group argued drugs serve as an excuse.
She said capitals across the region see the deployment as political messaging.
Dickinson warned the U.S. will use force against leaders who do not align.
She said the military posture aims to pressure regional governments into cooperation.
Leadership Frames Crackdown Like Counterterrorism Operations
Hegseth and administration officials compared the strikes to the post-9/11 war on terror.
The administration now treats cartels as unlawful combatants, officials stated.
Trump declared an “armed conflict” with cartels and cited wartime legal authority.
Reporters asked whether the president would seek a congressional declaration of war.
The president replied he did not plan to seek a formal declaration.
He added the United States will kill people who bring drugs into the country, he said.
