US aircraft carrier nears Venezuela in flex of American military power
November 13, 2025
The United States’ most advanced aircraft carrier is expected to reach the waters off Venezuela in days. It’s a stark flex of American military power not seen in Latin America for generations. Some experts foresee warplanes catapulting off the USS Gerald R Ford to strike targets in Venezuela unless authoritarian President Nicholas Maduro resigns. But whatever happens, experts say the Trump administration is sending a message to the Western Hemisphere. The Ford is being deployed after the Trump administration said the U.S. is an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Since September, the U.S. has killed 76 people in 19 strikes against alleged drug boats.