Trump’s Caribbean Show of Force: A New Cold Front off Venezuela

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Deployment of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean marks the sharpest U.S. military buildup in Latin America in decades — raising fears of a new “forever war” under Trump’s renewed anti-narcotics campaign.

By TRH Foreign Affairs Desk

New Delhi, October 24, 2025 — The Caribbean is once again bristling with military tension. In a move reminiscent of the power plays of the Cold War, the Pentagon confirmed that the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group — the United States’ most advanced naval formation — has been redeployed to the waters off Latin America.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Ford and its embarked air wing under the jurisdiction of U.S. Southern Command, which oversees the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The stated mission: to “detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities” threatening U.S. security.

Yet, as warplanes roar and carrier decks load up with F-35 fighters, many see more than a counter-narcotics campaign taking shape.

A Force Concentration Unseen in Years

According to CBS News and military monitoring reports, B-52 bombers are now flying off Venezuela’s coast, supported by submarines, destroyers, and stealth ships such as The Ghost. Nearly 10,000 U.S. troops are said to be stationed across the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. Special Operations helicopters and “Little Birds,” designed for covert insertions, have been sighted near Venezuelan waters — showing readiness for rapid action.

As of October 23, the U.S. task force includes eight vessels: a cruiser, three destroyers, two frigates, and the amphibious ships Iwo Jima and San Antonio, still operating in the Caribbean. Its aviation assets comprise RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, E-3G AWACS planes, P-8A patrol jets, and a fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones — along with ten F-35 stealth fighters stationed in Puerto Rico.

The strike capability, analysts say, is formidable. Even a fraction of this arsenal could deliver a crippling blow to Venezuela’s coastal defences or strategic infrastructure within hours.

Venezuela Responds with Its Own Muscle

In Caracas, President Nicolás Maduro has sought to project defiance. Venezuelan state media aired footage of Su-30 fighter jets test-firing Kh-31A anti-ship missiles — a pointed message to U.S. warships in nearby waters. With 24 Su-30s and an estimated 80 of these high-speed missiles, Venezuela is showing that it will not remain passive in the face of American pressure.

Between Anti-Narcotics and Armed Provocation

While Washington insists the deployment is aimed at countering drug trafficking, the scale and posture of the force suggest a broader strategic message — both to Venezuela and to rival powers like China and Russia, which have backed Maduro’s government politically and economically.

“Pressure is increasing both militarily and informationally,” noted one regional defence analyst. “Considering Trump’s unpredictability, a limited strike or covert operation cannot be ruled out.”

A ‘Forever War’ in the Making?

Critics warn that this show of force risks drawing the U.S. into another open-ended confrontation. As World Political Review columnist Prof. Paul Poast cautioned, “The military campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean could draw the U.S. into a ‘forever war’ of Trump’s making.”

If the buildup is meant as deterrence, it carries its own dangers. A single miscalculation — a radar lock, a flyover too close — could spark an escalation neither side fully controls.

For now, the Gerald R. Ford’s presence in the Caribbean is a message written not in words but in tonnage and thrust. The administration calls it a campaign for homeland safety; critics call it a theatre of provocation.

Either way, the Caribbean — once a tranquil blue belt between the Americas — now mirrors the turbulence of a world tilting back toward confrontation.

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