Pentagon Deploys Gerald R. Ford Amid Pushback

The Pentagon has ordered the nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to waters off South America and the Caribbean, positioning dozens of warplanes — including F-35s — plus cruisers, destroyers and thousands of sailors to bolster capacity to detect, monitor and disrupt transnational criminal organizations and counter so‑called narco‑terrorism. Officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, framed the deployment as part of an intensified campaign following at least ten recent U.S. strikes on suspected drug-running boats that U.S. officials say have killed at least 43 people, and President Trump has signaled strikes on land are “going to be next.” Pentagon officials and analysts say the carrier’s combat air wing and enhanced strike capacity would improve the ability to neutralize air defenses and enable special-operations or drone strikes against land targets. The rapid escalation has drawn legal and political pushback — critics question the evidence and legality of the boat strikes amid reports that survivors were released and relatives contest victims’ identities — and observers warn the buildup could heighten tensions with Venezuela, complicate regional relations, and spur debate over the scope and oversight of U.S. military action in Latin America.