US aircraft carrier moves into Latin America amid Venezuela tension
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), is seen in the North Sea, Aug. 23, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Maxwell Orlosky via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service - DVIDS)
WASHINGTON - The Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group has moved into the Latin America region, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday, dramatically escalating a military buildup in the Caribbean that has stoked tensions with Venezuela.
The deployment was ordered by President Donald Trump last month and adds to the eight warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft already in the region.
The U.S. officials did not specify the location of the carrier, only that it had moved into the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility for Latin America, a broad area that includes large sections of the ocean.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, Editing by Franklin Paul // REUTERS)
