Hegseth: Aircraft Carrier Is Being Sent to South America It’s the latest move in a US military escalation in Latin America, including deadly boat strikes
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the United States is deploying an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s efforts to combat narcoterrorism in the region.
The move follows the U.S. military’s tenth strike on a suspected drug-running vessel, which left six people dead in the Caribbean Sea, according to Hegseth. He said the vessel was operated by members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a powerful criminal organization that originated in a Venezuelan prison.
In a social media post, Hegseth said the overnight operation occurred in international waters and was the first of its kind conducted at night. It marks the second time the Trump administration has linked one of its military actions to the Tren de Aragua network.
“If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda,” Hegseth declared. “Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you.”
The pace of U.S. strikes has accelerated dramatically — from one every few weeks when the campaign began to three this week alone. Since September, at least 43 people have been killed in the series of operations, which have expanded from the Caribbean into the eastern Pacific, a key corridor for cocaine smuggling from the world’s largest producers.
The rapid buildup of American military assets in the Caribbean and off the coast of Venezuela has fueled speculation that the administration could be preparing to take stronger action against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces U.S. charges of narcoterrorism.
In a further show of force, the U.S. military flew a pair of supersonic heavy bombers near the Venezuelan coast on Thursday. Officials maintain the buildup is part of an intensified effort to disrupt drug trafficking routes into the United States.
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