The U.S. aircraft carrier went south to Latin America, and the regional situation suddenly escalated
The U.S. aircraft carrier "Ford" strike group was ordered to march to Latin America to fight the military deployment carried out in the name of drugs, once again attracting the nerves of the international community.
U.S. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell announced on the 24th that the U.S. military is deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility, namely the waters around Latin America.
This deployment is aimed at implementing President Trump's instructions on "disintegrating transnational criminal organizations and combating drug terrorism to defend the homeland".
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01 aircraft carrier
Pentagon spokesman Parnell said in a statement that Defense Secretary Hagerseth has ordered the USS Ford aircraft carrier strike group and its carrier-based aircraft wing to go to the US Southern Command area of responsibility.
The Ford aircraft carrier. The U.S. Navy's latest and most advanced aircraft carrier, served in 2017, with more than 5000 shipborne officers and soldiers.
The aircraft carrier is equipped with a missile warehouse, can carry more than 75 military aircraft, plus the combination of military ships such as the "Tecondroga" class cruiser, "Ali Burke" class destroyer, can implement ground-to-air, ground-to-ground and anti-submarine operations.
According to Reuters, the USS Ford aircraft carrier sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar earlier this month.
2 Regional escalation
The deployment of the US aircraft carrier is not an isolated operation. So far, the U.S. military has deployed in the Caribbean waters 8 warships, 1 submarine, multiple F-35 stealth fightersAnd the MQ-9 "Death" drone, etc.
US media quoted flight data on the 23rd to report that two US Air Force B-1B "Lancer" bombers approached Venezuela that day.
US troops have been operating in international waters in the Caribbean since September. Ten military operations, cracking down on suspected drug trafficking ships, killing at least 43 people.
Earlier on the 24th, U.S. Defense Secretary Hegerseth also announced that the U.S. military sank another "drug trafficking ship" in international waters in the Caribbean Sea at night, killing six people on board.
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Venezuelan President Maduro said in an interview with state media on the 24th that the United States is " Create a new endless war”。
Maduro had previously warned that if the United States interfered in Venezuela's internal affairs,"millions of Venezuelan compatriots armed with rifles" would retaliate.
In response, Venezuela has held coastal defense exercises in several coastal areas of the "Independent Plan 200", aimed at bringing the Venezuelan army and militias "to the best state of combat readiness when faced with threats".
The United States also exerted pressure on Venezuela's close neighbor Colombia. On the 24th, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Colombian President Petro and others on the grounds of "allowing drug cartels to run rampant".
Petro said on social media that the U.S. behavior was “a complete paradox”, saying “never step back, not even kneel down.”
The Real Intention in Question
Although the US claimed that the aircraft carrier was deployed to combat drug smuggling, this reason has been questioned by many.
Recent reports from the US Drug Enforcement Administration show that Venezuela is not the main source of drugs into the United States。The Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused the United States of attempting to instigate regime change in Venezuela through military threats.
The United States has recently deployed several warships in the Caribbean waters, and on the 24th it has strengthened its military deployment in the surrounding waters of Latin America, raising external suspicions. The ultimate goal of the United States is to subvert the regime.Not the so-called “trafficking in drugs.”
Celso amorim, chief special adviser to the President of Brazil, said in an interview with AFP on the 23rd that Brazil could not accept the military intervention of the United States in Venezuela, believing that this move would "anger South America".
Earlier this month, the Trump administration submitted a memorandum to Congress stating that the United States and a drug trafficking group identified by the United States as a terrorist organization “are in a non-international armed conflict.”
This statement provides the legal foundation for the United States to expand military operations in Latin America.
Tensions in the region are rising as the USS Ford aircraft carrier sails towards the Caribbean. The US military's strength continues to increase, Venezuela is actively preparing for war, and neighboring countries have expressed concerns.
How exactly this military operation, called “fighting drug trafficking,” will end, is being closely watched by the international community.