The U.S. Navy supercarrier USS Gerald Ford and its strike group have repositioned to approximately around 600 kilometres south-southwest of Puerto Rico, placing them within much closer proximity to Venezuela, amid speculation that Washington could initiate attacks on its southern neighbour.
Hours after the ships were repositioned, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the initiation of U.S. ground operations targeting transnational drug cartels operating from within Venezuelan territory.
U.S. Navy Supercarrier USS Gerald Ford
Venezuela and much of the international community have dismissed reports of drug cartels operating from within the country as a fabricated pretext intended to justify military action, with the intention of either overthrowing the resource rich country’s socialist government by force, or crippling its economy by destroying key infrastructure to complement the effects of escalated economic sanctions.
These developments have occurred shortly after U.S. forces on December 10 boarded and commandeered a Venezuelan oil tanker in international waters, which marked a major escalation in the conflict between the two states.