US strike group led by Gerald Ford enters Caribbean

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: The US military announced on Sunday that an aircraft carrier strike group has entered the Caribbean Sea, significantly increasing the presence of US forces near Venezuela.

 

The strike group includes the most advanced US aircraft carrier, two guided-missile destroyers and other support ships and aircraft.

 

The move comes as US President Donald Trump has ordered reinforcements in the Caribbean as part of what he calls a campaign against drug trafficking, but speculation has also grown about the possibility of US military intervention against the government of Nicolas Maduro.

 

The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is responsible for US forces in Latin America and the Caribbean, had previously announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group had entered the command's area of ​​operations. On Sunday, SOUTHCOM confirmed that the task force had entered the Caribbean Sea.

 

The move follows "President Trump's order to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and counter terrorism in defense of the homeland," the agency said in a statement.

 

The task force now joins several other warships already deployed to the Caribbean, a group that Washington has dubbed "Operation Southern Spear."

 

80 killed in US strikes in the Caribbean

According to official figures, US forces have killed at least 80 people, whom Washington has described as "drug traffickers," in international waters in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since the start of the anti-smuggling operation in September.

 

However, the United States has not provided any evidence that the individuals targeted were actually involved in trafficking. Experts say the killings, even if they targeted actual traffickers, amount to extrajudicial killings.

 

Caracas also sees the buildup of U.S. troops as a direct threat.

 

The United States does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president and has offered a $50 million reward for his capture on charges of “leading a drug cartel.”

 

Trump has reportedly met with his military advisers to discuss possible options for Venezuela. The U.S. president said on Friday that he had “somewhat made up his mind” on the matter.

 

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the US Navy, carrying more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical fighter jets, arrived in the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of ​​responsibility in Latin America last week.