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San Juan, PR. Nov.1 (DPnet).– In late August 2025, the United States initiated a naval buildup in the southern Caribbean, citing the intention to address the issue of drug trafficking. US President Donald Trump authorized the United States Armed Forces to employ military force against specific Latin American drug cartels, labeling these smugglers as narcoterrorists. The Trump administration has accused Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, of facilitating the trafficking of drugs into the United States. Earlier in August, the administration also increased the bounty for Maduro's arrest to $50 million, alleging his involvement in drug trafficking activities.

On 30 September, President Trump told reporters his administration would "look very seriously at cartels coming by land" and he formally declared to Congress on 1 October that the US was in a "non-international armed conflict" with "unlawful combatants" regarding drug cartels operating in the Caribbean. Trump said on 22 October that he planned to also order strikes on land targets.

The Trump administration announced in October 27 that the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group (CSG) will deploy to the Caribbean to help “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland.” The CSG had been in the Mediterranean for exercises with allies and to respond to potential hostilities around Israel, Gaza, and the Red Sea. This task force includes 1 Carrier, 2 Cruisers, 7 Destroyers, 3 amphibious ships and one submarine.

The Carrier is by itself immensely powerful because of their air wing. Their striking power comes primarily from the fighter/attack aircraft, typically 24 F/A-18E/Fs and 24 F-35Cs. However, these aircraft are not well suited for counterdrug search because they move too fast. In addition to the fighters, carriers have support aircraft like E-2Ds for aerial surveillance (four, typically) and SH-60R/S helicopters (19) for antisubmarine warfare. The helicopters could help with search and can fire antiship missiles, like Penguins, which are designed to attack fast boats. In general, the task force counts with multiple Tomahawk missiles for land attack, SM-2/SM-6 missiles for air defense, and SM-3 for ballistic missile defense. With an average loadout across the force of 25 % land attack missiles, roughly 180 Tomahawks would be available for strikes against the Maduro regime or cartel facilities.

Undisclosed sources inform that "the targets aim to decapitate the cartel’s hierarchy,” but it is unclear if that means taking out Maduro. The Venezuelan leader was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020. The Wall Street Journal reported that the potential targets under consideration “include ports and airports controlled by the military that are allegedly used to traffic drugs, including naval facilities and airstrips, according to one of the officials." 

A U.S. official we spoke with on Friday morning was not aware of any imminent plans to attack Venezuela. “While it does not appear that such an attack would take place in the coming hours, the U.S. military will be ready to execute at the POTUS’ direction,” said the official. “We are poised to execute any orders given to us.”