Trump Orders USS Gerald R. Ford to Caribbean, Plans Air Strikes on Venezuelan Cocaine Facilities

The Pentagon has moved the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group into the U.S. Southern Command theater.

This deployment comes as former President Donald Trump considers air and possibly land strikes on cocaine facilities and trafficking routes inside Venezuela.

businessinsider

Western mainstream outlet BBC reports that the Ford’s deployment aims to bolster counter-narcotics efforts and enable strikes against ground targets related to drug trafficking.

Asian outlets ANI News and NewsBreak, along with TRT Afrika, report that U.S. officials say Trump has authorized CIA covert operations and is considering targeting cocaine sites, though no final decision has been made.

Business Insider and Latin American outlet O Globo add that this military buildup follows intensified U.S. attacks on suspected smuggling boats.

Reported deaths from these attacks range from at least 43 to 46 people, highlighting both escalation and contested casualty counts.

Beyond signaling, the Ford’s combat power could make sustained operations feasible.

Asian outlet EurAsian Times details the ship can carry up to 90 aircraft, including F‑35Cs, F/A‑18E/F Super Hornets, EA‑18G Growlers, and E‑2D Hawkeyes.

The Telegraph

The ship features advanced weapons elevators enabling up to 150 sorties per day.

Accompanying destroyers could bring over 700 VLS cells equipped with Tomahawk missiles.

Business Insider adds the deployment includes 11 Navy ships and mentions the USS Iwo Jima amphibious assault ship operating alongside.

Western Tabloid Daily Express US ties the posture to ongoing strikes on smuggling boats and uniquely reports the Tren de Aragua gang’s involvement.

BBC underscores the deployment’s stated goal to enable strikes on drug-linked ground targets.

How far the U.S. might go—and under what authority—remains contested.

“The president announced plans to visit the Gaza Strip in the future”

La Voz de Galicia

Asian outlet ANI News reports Trump might continue military actions without seeking a formal declaration of war.

BBC, a Western mainstream source, says he is considering land action after claiming sea routes are controlled.

Western alternative outlet Drop Site News reports Trump announced plans to bypass Congress to expand strikes against cartels and focus on land targets.

Other outlet Brasil 247 quotes him vowing to kill the people who are bringing drugs into our country.

Bulgarian Western mainstream outlet fakti.bg adds that the CIA has been green-lit for covert operations to destabilize Maduro’s government.

Venezuela denounced the plans as violations of international law.

Backlash across the region has been sharp, with accusations of an invented conflict and civilian harm.

Western mainstream outlet CNN quotes Maduro accusing the U.S. of “inventing a new eternal war” and says he plans to mobilize Simón Bolívar Internationalist Brigades.

Malaysia Sun

Latin American outlets O Globo and Brasil 247 highlight Brazilian President Lula da Silva’s condemnation and calls for dialogue.

Business Insider reports Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro accused the U.S. of killing a Colombian fisherman amid “at least 43” deaths tied to boat strikes.

Local Western outlet Irish Star notes the U.S. “has not provided evidence that victims... were drug traffickers.”

Another outlet, SSBCrack, alleges the boats were “mostly carrying civilians including fishermen,” intensifying scrutiny of the campaign’s conduct and targets.

Key uncertainties persist regarding potential military action inside Venezuela.

“Stock markets fell driven by weak technology stocks and cautious investor sentiment”

Malaysia Sun

Multiple outlets stress that no final decision has been made on striking within the country.

Truthout

Venezuela is not considered a major source of cocaine production.

TRT Afrika and ANI report that officials are still weighing their options and highlight Venezuela’s limited role in drug production.

Folha de S.Paulo also notes the ongoing consideration and mentions that some in Washington see the campaign as a form of pressure for regime change.

CNN’s coverage notably includes unrelated U.S. domestic issues alongside its reporting on Venezuela.

The Israeli outlet Israel Hayom uniquely places the reassignment of the Ford to Southern Command within a broader context of Trump’s Middle East diplomacy.

Together, this mixed coverage highlights shifting objectives, contested motives, and unresolved plans.