Latin America Security

The U.S. has massed a large naval and air force in the Caribbean — including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, multiple destroyers and amphibious ships, a nuclear‑powered attack submarine, B‑52s, F‑35s and AC‑130s — under "Operation Southern Spear" to target suspected drug‑smuggling vessels in a campaign of roughly 20–22 maritime strikes that U.S. officials say has killed about 80 people. President Trump has signaled the effort may expand to "strikes on land very soon" (and has not ruled out ground troops), prompting legal and congressional pushback and regional tension as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro vows resistance, mobilizes forces and protests the U.S. buildup.

Venezuela launched a nationwide military exercise mobilizing roughly 200,000 troops, air and naval assets as the U.S. carrier USS Gerald R. Ford strike group arrived in the Caribbean amid a stepped‑up U.S. campaign of maritime missile strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats that U.S. officials defend as counter‑drug operations. The strikes — reported to include dozens of attacks and scores killed — have provoked regional and allied pushback, with Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro halting intelligence sharing with the U.S. and the U.K. reportedly suspending some sharing, while France, Mexico and others have criticized the operations even as President Trump says he might talk with Nicolás Maduro but keeps military options on the table.