Arrival of US Warship in Latin America Sparks Venezuelan, Russian Outrage Over ‘Imperial Threat’

The arrival of a US aircraft carrier strike group in Latin American waters on Tuesday has intensified tensions with Venezuela, which has warned that the move could trigger a major conflict and announced its own large-scale military response.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, entered the area under the US Naval Forces Southern Command, which oversees operations across Latin America and the Caribbean, the command confirmed in a statement.

According to the Pentagon, the deployment — ordered nearly three weeks ago — is part of Washington’s efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.

“The carrier’s presence will bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.

The Trump administration has described the operation as an anti-drug campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, involving both naval and air assets. However, Caracas fears the buildup is part of a broader regime change plot aimed at toppling President Nicolás Maduro, whose reelections Washington and several other governments have dismissed as fraudulent.

Maduro accused the US of “fabricating a war,” warning that his government would not be intimidated. On November 2, Trump dismissed the possibility of a direct conflict but insisted that Maduro’s days in power were numbered, accusing him of being a drug lord.

Since September, US forces have reportedly carried out strikes on about 20 vessels in international waters, resulting in at least 76 deaths, according to US figures. Rights groups have condemned the attacks as extrajudicial killings, arguing that Washington has provided no evidence the targets were linked to drug trafficking.

In response, Venezuela’s Defense Ministry announced a “massive nationwide deployment” involving land, sea, air, river, and missile units as well as civilian militias to counter what it called “imperial threats.”

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said about 200,000 troops were taking part in the operation, though no unusual military activity was observed in Caracas.
“They are murdering defenseless people, whether or not they are drug traffickers, executing them without due process,” Padrino said, referring to US strikes.

Experts have noted that Venezuela’s aging arsenal and poorly trained forces would leave it at a severe disadvantage in any confrontation with the United States.

Meanwhile, Russia — a key Maduro ally — condemned the US operations as “unacceptable.”
“This is how lawless countries act, those who consider themselves above the law,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, accusing Washington of using “the pretext of fighting drugs” to justify aggression.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have grown increasingly strained, with Trump expressing frustration over Russia’s stance on the Ukraine conflict.

In the United Kingdom, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to comment on a CNN report alleging that London had suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the Caribbean operations.
“The US is our closest partner on defense, security, and intelligence,” the spokesman said. “Decisions on this are a matter for the US.”

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