The Trump administration has initiated the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Western Hemisphere, intensifying efforts to intercept vessels suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean.

“Following the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and combat narco-terrorism to safeguard our nation, the Secretary of War has commanded the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its air wing to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility,” declared Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement on Friday.

Parnell further elaborated, “The augmented U.S. military presence in the USSOUTHCOM region will enhance our ability to identify, track, and thwart illegal activities that threaten the security and well-being of the United States and our interests in the Western Hemisphere. These forces will strengthen existing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking and dismantle TCOs.”

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was recently observed in the North Sea during the NATO Neptune Strike 2025 exercise on September 24, 2025. The Pentagon confirmed that the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is now tasked with heading to the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. (Photo by JONATHAN KLEIN/AFP via Getty Images)

The jurisdiction of USSOUTHCOM comprises the territories of Latin America south of Mexico, along with the adjacent waters of Central and South America and the Caribbean Sea.

The strike group includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, according to the U.S. Navy, as well as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Mahan, USS Winston S. Churchill and USS Bainbridge. 

The USS Gerald R. Ford is currently deployed to the Mediterranean Sea along with three destroyers. It would likely take several days for the ships to make the journey to South America. In August, the strike group transited the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel. 

The deployment would mean there will be no U.S. aircraft carriers in the Middle East for the first time in years. 

The Trump administration has ordered a number of strikes in the Caribbean aimed at dismantling and disrupting drug cartels in the region. 

Most recently, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that a strike on a vessel allegedly operated by suspected members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan street gang deemed a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO), killed six alleged narco-terrorists.

U.S. strikes on drug boats near Venezuelan waters may be targeted at taking out Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. (@realDonald Trump/Truth Social; Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat al-Qaeda,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.” 

It marked the 10th strike targeting suspected drug trafficking boats since Trump returned to office. The president has made combating the nation’s drug crisis a central policy focus.

Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being a drug cartel leader as he continues to increase pressure on the Maduro regime.

Last week, Trump confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, saying he did so because the South American nation has released prisoners into the U.S. and that drugs were coming into the U.S. from Venezuela through sea routes. 

Meanwhile, the military strikes have attracted scrutiny from both sides of the aisle as questions swirl about their legality. 

Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., recently introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit U.S. armed forces from participating in “hostilities” against Venezuela.