Ford carrier adds to U.S. military buildup near Venezuela

"U.S. Southern Command, which would oversee operations in Venezuela, is executing Trump's strikes and is a leader of the newly launched Operation Southern Spear, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said would target "narco-terrorists" and shield the U.S. from deadly drugs, per Axios' Colin Demarest. Driving the news: "The maritime forces' operations" in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility come after Hegseth "directed the Carrier Strike Group to support the President's directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland,""

"SOUTHCOM Cmdr. Adm. Alvin Holsey said in a statement, "The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group's deployment represents a critical step in reinforcing our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphere and the safety of the American Homeland." Meanwhile, SOUTHCOM announced on social media Sunday that it had struck another suspected drug boat a day earlier. State of play: Hegseth announced Operation Southern Spear on Thursday, which SOUTHCOM said in its statement was "established to defeat and dismantle criminal networks that exploit our shared borders and maritime domains.""

President Trump said there was no update on Venezuela while adding that discussions with Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro may occur. U.S. Southern Command is executing strikes and leading Operation Southern Spear, aimed at targeting narco-terrorists and shielding the United States from deadly drugs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Carrier Strike Group to support a presidential directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the homeland. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group deployed with more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft to reinforce security in the Western Hemisphere, and SOUTHCOM reported striking another suspected drug boat as joint forces operate in the Caribbean to defeat criminal networks exploiting shared borders and maritime domains.

Read at Axios