Caracas declares maximum alert, placing its military on full operational readiness as US forces boost their presence in the Caribbean.
CARACAS, (venezuelanalysis.com) – The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived Tuesday in the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)’s area of responsibility, significantly increasing US forces in the region.
The Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, and its strike group will add more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft and destroyer ships to the existing US fleet already mobilised to the Caribbean. In a statement announcing the arrival of the Navy vessels, SOUTHCOM described them as “capable, lethal, and adaptable warfighting assets.”
The carrier strike group will join several warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and around 10,000 US troops stationed in the region since August. According to reports, the Pentagon also began rehabilitating the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. US and local officials stated the formerly abandoned site will serve as a major staging area for US military and economic plans in Latin America and the Caribbean. Recent activity at the reopened base saw Marines conducting amphibious landing drills.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration is also expanding facilities at civilian airports in Puerto Rico and St Croix in the US Virgin Islands. The strategic locations lie about 500 miles from Venezuela and could enable operations against the Caribbean nation.
The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Group marks yet another escalation amid the Trump administration’s threats of strikes on Venezuelan soil. The aircraft carrier’s advanced air and ballistic missile capabilities have fuelled speculation that Washington is preparing for military action against Caracas.
Venezuela’s National Assembly (AN) approved Tuesday the Law on the Command for the Integral Defence of the Nation. This legislation establishes a new military doctrine that unites state institutions, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), and organised popular movements to defend the nation.
President Nicolás Maduro signed the new law and ordered its immediate implementation.
Venezuelan Defense minister Vladimir Padrino López reaffirmed Tuesday that the country’s entire military arsenal was on full operational readiness in response to a state of maximum alert. Ongoing military drills have included a massive deployment of ground, aerial, naval, riverine by the armed forces and militia, alongside missile defense systems.
The Trump administration claims the military buildup throughout the region is part of a counternarcotics mission to prevent drugs from reaching US territory. Since September, US forces have struck a reported 20 boats, killing 76 people, in Caribbean and Pacific waters. Washington has not presented evidence that the boats were involved in illicit activities, while United Nations (UN) experts and the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, have labelled the strikes “extrajudicial killings.”
UN Secretary General António Guterres recently condemned the US’ Caribbean militarisation and use of lethal force against small vessels as violations of international law.
The United Kingdom has reportedly stopped sharing intelligence with the US regarding suspected drug-trafficking vessels due to concerns about potential complicity in strikes London believes are illegal. Colombia’s Gustavo Petro likewise ordered the military on Tuesday to end “communications and other agreements with US security agencies” until attacks on speedboats cease.
On Wednesday, French officials also expressed concerns about Washington’s actions in the Caribbean “violating international law.”
Trump and his top officials have accused Caracas of “narcoterrorism” and placed a $50 million bounty on president Maduro’s head. However, the White House has not presented evidence to support its claims, which have been contradicted by reports from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), both of which found Venezuela to be a marginal player in international drug trafficking.
Caracas has denounced Washington’s threats and escalation as an oil-driven regime change attempt and warned of potential US military intervention at the UN Security Council.
Since August, the Maduro government has reinforced the country’s civil-military union, with many Venezuelans voluntarily enlisting in the Bolivarian Militia. It has launched strategic defense exercises to protect the borders, critical sites, and infrastructure.
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