The Trump administration is flexing its military muscle off Venezuela’s coast, as newly released Pentagon images show the massive Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group sailing in formation with B-52 bombers — a clear warning to Nicolás Maduro’s embattled regime.
The photos show warships, destroyers, and fighter jets moving in tight formation under Operation Southern Spear, a rapidly expanding U.S. military effort aimed at crippling Venezuela’s alleged role in regional drug trafficking.
The deployment marks one of Washington’s boldest Latin American power plays in years — and it’s ratcheting up the pressure on Maduro as tensions between Caracas and Washington hit new highs.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Balisage/U.S. Navy
Roughly 10,000 U.S. troops are now stationed across South America and the Caribbean, backed by submarines, guided-missile destroyers, and advanced strike aircraft. Military officials have reportedly presented President Donald Trump with a range of potential options, including precision strikes inside Venezuela, a move that could upend the region’s fragile diplomatic balance and send oil markets reeling.
The Defense Department’s latest photos show the USS Gerald R. Ford leading a pack of warships — including the USS Winston S. Churchill, USS Mahan, and USS Bainbridge — alongside squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and a B-52 Stratofortress.
Just weeks earlier, three B-52s lifted off from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and flew hours along Venezuela’s coastline, part of a broader display of American reach.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Balisage/U.S. Navy
Officials say the surge is designed to support U.S. Southern Command’s mission to “disrupt narcotics trafficking and protect the U.S. homeland.” But the scale of the deployment suggests something bigger — a growing willingness to project U.S. power deep into the hemisphere.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally announced Operation Southern Spear on Thursday, noting that it came directly at Trump’s instruction.
Top generals have recently briefed the president on potential scenarios, including surgical strikes on Maduro’s security forces and moves to seize control of vital oil infrastructure. While Trump has reportedly voiced concern about putting American lives at risk, military planners argue time is running out as Venezuelan state actors allegedly funnel billions through drug networks across the Americas.
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, 2025-11-14 21:16:00, 
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