A US naval strike force centred around the world's largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford, has arrived in the Caribbean, the US Navy has confirmed.
The arrival of the strike group, ordered to the region by President Donald Trump last month, comes amid ongoing strikes against alleged drug boats and tensions with Venezuela.
The US has conducted at least 19 strikes against boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, resulting in at least 76 casualties.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of fabricating a crisis to destabilize the country's socialist government.
The aircraft carrier movement also comes amid tensions between the Trump administration and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom Trump has labeled a thug.
Petro recently suspended intelligence sharing with US forces until attacks on boats cease, stating that the fight against drugs must prioritize human rights.
The US Navy reported that the strike group entered the US Southern Command's area of responsibility on 11 November. The force includes the USS Gerald R Ford and other vessels aimed at enhancing US capacity to disrupt illicit activities in the region.
As the deployment joins substantial military forces in the area, it represents the largest US military presence in Latin America in decades. Despite ongoing operations, concerns about human rights violations have emerged amidst the anti-drug campaign.
Colombia's military recently launched its own attacks against a guerrilla group, leading to further violence in the region.
Trump, while insisting that the operations are necessary to combat drug trafficking, has downplayed the possibility of escalating military action against Venezuela.
