Istanbul: The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, entered the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, marking a significant move in the Trump administration's expanded military campaign against drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.

According to Anadolu Agency, this deployment is part of a directive from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, supporting President Donald Trump's initiative to dismantle criminal networks that are perceived as threats to US security. The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed the carrier's integration with existing US forces in the region, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and a marine expeditionary unit.

The USS Gerald R. Ford carries over 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft, and operates under the recently established Joint Task Force Southern Spear, which is dedicated to disrupting criminal networks. The carrier is accompanied by its strike group, consisting of nine squadrons from Carrier Air Wing Eight, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Mahan, and the air defense command ship USS Winston S. Churchill.

The deployment comes amid rising tensions with Venezuela. In September, US military operations targeting alleged drug trafficking in the Caribbean began with a strike on a Venezuelan speedboat, and the campaign has since expanded to include the Eastern Pacific by late October. To date, at least 21 attacks aimed at drug traffickers have been executed, resulting in 82 deaths.

SOUTHCOM oversees US military operations across 31 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region deemed crucial for maintaining hemispheric stability and countering trafficking networks.