Pentagon Orders Carrier Strike Group To Join SOUTHCOM Operations Near Venezuela

The US Secretary of War has ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the US Southern Command area. This deployment joins an already significant US military buildup in the southern Caribbean near Venezuela. The Pentagon states the increased presence will enhance the ability to detect and disrupt illicit activities. The aim is to counter narcotics trafficking and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The USS Gerald R. Ford will be joined by Arleigh Burke-Class destroyers redirected from the Mediterranean. The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is already operating near Puerto Rico, focused on Venezuela. The US deployment includes a massive amount of naval power, exceeding the UK's carrier strike group. President Trump has suggested potential land operations against the Maduro government could occur. Trump asserts he doesn't require congressional authorization for anti-Venezuela operations.