US Deploys Carrier Strike Group Near Venezuela Amid Regional Military Exercises

The United States has increased its military presence in the Caribbean near Venezuela, deploying the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Southern Command area to combat drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations, following President Trump's directive. This enhanced naval presence aims to disrupt narcotics operations and narco-terrorism threatening U.S. security in the Western Hemisphere. Concurrently, a U.S. destroyer is set to conduct military drills in Trinidad and Tobago, intensifying regional security cooperation amid ongoing strikes against drug vessels linked to Venezuelan criminal gangs. Unannounced MV-22B Osprey flights and bomber transits near Venezuelan airspace indicate a heightened U.S. Marine Corps readiness posture, although no formal assault operations have been declared. In response, Venezuela has launched extensive "Coast Independence 200" military exercises along its coastal states to defend sovereignty and counter what it describes as secret U.S. destabilization efforts and regional military threats. These developments reflect escalating tensions and military posturing between the U.S. and Venezuela in the Caribbean region.