Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of 'fabricating a new war', after it ordered the world's largest warship to be sent to the Caribbean. The USS Gerald R Ford can carry up to 90 aircraft and its deployment marks a massive increase in US firepower in the region.
The US has conducted 10 air strikes on vessels in the area as part of what it says is a war on drug traffickers. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro of being the leader of a drug-trafficking organization, which he denies, and there are fears in Venezuela that the US military build-up is aimed at removing the long-time opponent of Trump from power.
The US is among many nations that do not recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader, after the last election in 2024 was widely dismissed as neither free nor fair. Opposition tallies from polling stations showed its candidate had won by a landslide.
Venezuela plays a relatively minor role in the region's drug trade. The Pentagon said on Friday that the USS Gerald R Ford carrier would deploy to the US Southern Command area of responsibility, which includes Central America and South America, as well as the Caribbean. The additional forces 'will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations', spokesman Sean Parnell said.
Maduro accused the US of seeking 'a new eternal war' in his address, stating, 'They promised they would never again get involved in a war, and they are fabricating a war.' The carrier's deployment would provide the resources to start conducting strikes against targets on the ground.
Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of what he called 'land action' in Venezuela. He claimed, 'We're looking at land now' after asserting that the US has 'stopped all drugs from coming in by sea'.
The US has also bolstered its air presence in the region, and military analysts have noted that intercepting drugs at sea does not require a force as sizeable as the current US military presence. Recent operations have raised legal concerns within the US Congress regarding the authority for such military actions, with bipartisan calls for oversight on the administration's use of military force in the region.
The US has conducted 10 air strikes on vessels in the area as part of what it says is a war on drug traffickers. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro of being the leader of a drug-trafficking organization, which he denies, and there are fears in Venezuela that the US military build-up is aimed at removing the long-time opponent of Trump from power.
The US is among many nations that do not recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader, after the last election in 2024 was widely dismissed as neither free nor fair. Opposition tallies from polling stations showed its candidate had won by a landslide.
Venezuela plays a relatively minor role in the region's drug trade. The Pentagon said on Friday that the USS Gerald R Ford carrier would deploy to the US Southern Command area of responsibility, which includes Central America and South America, as well as the Caribbean. The additional forces 'will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations', spokesman Sean Parnell said.
Maduro accused the US of seeking 'a new eternal war' in his address, stating, 'They promised they would never again get involved in a war, and they are fabricating a war.' The carrier's deployment would provide the resources to start conducting strikes against targets on the ground.
Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of what he called 'land action' in Venezuela. He claimed, 'We're looking at land now' after asserting that the US has 'stopped all drugs from coming in by sea'.
The US has also bolstered its air presence in the region, and military analysts have noted that intercepting drugs at sea does not require a force as sizeable as the current US military presence. Recent operations have raised legal concerns within the US Congress regarding the authority for such military actions, with bipartisan calls for oversight on the administration's use of military force in the region.
