By Amir DaftariShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberNew satellite imagery shows several U.S. Navy ships moving through the Caribbean, including the USS Iwo Jima positioned south of Puerto Rico, roughly 800 kilometers from Venezuela’s coast.
Meanwhile, open-source photographs and ship-tracking data show the USS Gerald R. Ford, the navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, departing St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands after a brief port visit.
The movements come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, with President Donald Trump warning that the U.S. will "very soon" begin striking "bad ones" inside the country.
Why It Matters
The U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean is one of the largest in decades and positioned within striking distance of Venezuela. Washington says the deployments are part of Operation Southern Spear, a counter‑narcotics campaign targeting drug shipments and trafficking networks, and has included airstrikes on vessels alleged to carry illicit drugs.
Caracas has denounced the buildup as a threat to sovereignty, claiming the U.S. seeks control over Venezuela’s natural resources. The government has mobilized forces, deployed coastal patrols, drones, and militia, and appealed to regional organizations and the United Nations.
...What To Know
The latest European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite images show the U.S. Navy repositioning several key vessels across the Caribbean. The imagery indicates that the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima is operating roughly 800 kilometers northeast of Venezuela’s coast, south-southwest of Puerto Rico, alongside the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio and the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser.
The ships appear to be coordinating logistics and refueling, standard procedures that support extended naval deployments in the region.
...Naval Movements
Separate open-source photos and ship-tracking data show the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, departed St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands after a brief port visit on Monday.
The carrier strike group was redeployed from the Mediterranean by the Pentagon and entered U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility on November 11, shifting its focus to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Last week, the carrier group was observed south of Puerto Rico, near José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, a key location for U.S. military operations and exercises in the region. The redeployment positions the Ford within operational range of the southern Caribbean, highlighting its ability to project air and strike capabilities across the area.
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Trump Turns Up Pressure
After repeated U.S. airstrikes on vessels of alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers in the Caribbean, Trump said during a Tuesday cabinet meeting, "We're going to start doing those strikes on land too. Land is much easier; we know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we're going to start that very soon."
His remarks come as the administration faces scrutiny over its targeting of suspected drug-trafficking boats, which have resulted in more than 80 deaths. During the meeting, Trump defended Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, noting that neither he nor the secretary knew about a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel on September 2, carried out after an initial attack did not kill everyone on board. The comments signal a potential escalation in U.S. operations against Venezuela and its networks in the Caribbean.
What People Are Saying
Pentagon spokesperson, Kingsley Wilson, told reporters on Tuesday: "At the end of the day, the secretary and the president are the ones directing these strikes. And any follow-on strikes, like those which were directed by Admiral Bradley, the secretary 100 percent agrees with."
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Monday, as quoted by Al Jazeera English: "We do not want a slave’s peace, nor the peace of colonies. Colony, never. Slaves, never. We have endured 22 weeks of aggression that can be described as psychological terrorism. These 22 weeks have put us to the test, and the people of Venezuela have demonstrated their love for the homeland."
What Happens Next
U.S. naval deployments and Trump’s recent statements suggest heightened monitoring of the Caribbean will continue, with the potential for expanded operations against suspected drug-trafficking networks. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is likely to maintain a strong military posture along the coast and could further mobilize forces or conduct exercises to signal readiness.
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