The USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced ship in the U.S. Navy, has begun operations in the Caribbean Sea to combat transnational criminal networks linked to drug trafficking. This deployment, ordered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, aims to bolster maritime security along a key route for illicit traffic. The Southern Command confirmed the strike group's presence in the area.
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier began operations in the Caribbean Sea on November 17, 2025, as part of a deployment ordered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. This move bolsters Washington's strategy against transnational criminal organizations and drug trafficking networks that use the region to move drugs, weapons, and money.
The Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed the strike group's operations in the area, enhancing maritime security along key illicit trafficking routes. “We are prepared to confront threats seeking to destabilize our hemisphere,” stated Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of SOUTHCOM, who called the Ford's arrival a “decisive step” in the regional offensive.
The vessel joins the Joint Task Force Southern Spear, alongside the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and Marine Corps units. The mission focuses on detecting, disrupting, and dismantling these criminal networks. Rear Admiral Paul Lanzilotta, commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, noted that the Gerald R. Ford is “the most capable and adaptable platform in the world,” and its deployment expands surveillance, maritime interdiction, and rapid response in the Western Hemisphere.
With over 4,000 sailors, tactical aircraft, and destroyers such as the USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan, and USS Winston S. Churchill, the group significantly boosts U.S. operational capabilities in the Caribbean. This effort is part of Operation Southern Spear, a Department of War initiative to curb illicit trafficking and mitigate its effects on the U.S. and its allies. It marks one of Washington's most important deployments in the region in recent years.