• The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has arrived in the Caribbean as part of a U.S. military buildup aimed at combating drug trafficking.
• This deployment, part of Operation Southern Spear, has raised tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
• U.S. military strikes in the region have reportedly resulted in at least 83 deaths, raising concerns regarding potential extrajudicial killings.
• Military officials state the operation will disrupt narco-terrorism that threatens U.S. security and stability in the region.
• The carrier's arrival marks a significant increase in U.S. presence in the Caribbean, with approximately 12,000 military personnel deployed.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's most advanced aircraft carrier, has arrived in the Caribbean Sea as part of the U.S. military's intensified operational focus against drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations, according to Los Angeles Times and CBS News. The deployment is tied to a broader strategy under President Trump's administration, which cites the need to dismantle criminal networks that threaten U.S. security.

The military buildup comes during a significant escalation in U.S. strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels, with reports indicating that U.S. forces have conducted over 20 operations since September, resulting in at least 83 fatalities, according to The Hill and South China Morning Post. Critics, including international law and human rights experts, argue that these attacks risk being classified as extrajudicial killings due to insufficient legal justification for the strikes.

This operation, named Operation Southern Spear, aims to protect the Western Hemisphere from narco-terrorism while asserting U.S. military presence in Latin America, as reported by Channel News Asia and NPR. The presence of approximately 12,000 troops in this operation suggests a significant commitment to countering drug trafficking operations, aimed particularly at Venezuelan waters where President Nicolás Maduro's government is seen as complicity in drug smuggling.

Maduro has pushed back against these U.S. initiatives, viewing the military buildup as an aggressive threat, characterized as "fabrication" against his leadership, as detailed in reports from Al Jazeera and AA. The Venezuelan administration has also mobilized troops and civilians in defense against perceived U.S. aggression, indicating the high stakes of this ongoing military operation in the region.