The USS Gerald R. Ford Set to Arrive in the Caribbean Amid Rising Tensions with Venezuela
The USS Gerald R. Ford is anchored in the Bay of Palma after arriving to Spain’s Palma de Mallorca on Oct. 3, 2025. The world’s largest aircraft carrier is due to arrive in the northern Caribbean on Sunday as tensions with Venezuela grow.
Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, is expected to reach the northern Caribbean by Sunday as reports of increasing strain between the United States and Venezuela emerge. This deployment will see the carrier join a significant force of 15,000 service members, alongside 2,000 Marines on an amphibious assault ship.
Although the U.S. military official, who shared this information with NPR, wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, they indicated potential military actions might be on the horizon, as high-level discussions with Congress and foreign leaders continue alongside military drills.
Despite these developments, there’s still uncertainty about whether President Trump will decide to use military power against Venezuela. The U.S. has already executed 20 strikes on boats in the area, targeting vessels suspected of trafficking drugs from Venezuela. In a related move, the U.S. offered a $50 million reward for the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
According to officials, the presence of the USS Gerald Ford, recently relocated from the Mediterranean, could be a maneuver to apply pressure on Maduro, who has heightened the alert status of his military forces.
In a discussion aboard Air Force One, Trump mentioned, “I sort of made up my mind” regarding a potential attack. He added, “I can’t tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to social media to announce an ongoing mission titled “Operation Southern Spear,” emphasizing its objectives to defend the homeland and combat drug trafficking.
Hegseth further explained the mission’s purpose: “This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” he emphasized. “The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood and we will protect it.”
This increase in military operations follows the unexpected resignation of U.S. four-star Adm. Alvin Holsey, who left his position early last month. Sources suggest his departure was linked to his objections over the boat strikes, which have resulted in 80 casualties and targeted vessels not displaying immediate threats.
NPR’s Tom Bowman and Quil Lawrence contributed to this report.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
