TEHRAN – The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean has marked a dangerous escalation in U.S. military activity and sharply heightened tensions with Venezuela. 

Ordered by President Donald Trump, the arrival of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, accompanied by guided missile destroyers, submarines, and thousands of troops already stationed in Puerto Rico, represents the most significant U.S. military buildup in the region in decades.

Washington has presented the deployment as part of “counter narcotics operations.” Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out at least nineteen strikes against boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in nearly eighty deaths. Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other senior officials of the country of leading a narcotics organization. These allegations, however, have been challenged by international organizations and UN officials, who stress that such claims lack credible evidence and warn that unilateral military actions risk destabilizing the hemisphere and violate international law.

At the CELAC summit in Colombia, fifty eight out of sixty nations signed a declaration rejecting “the use or threat of force and any action not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.” While the statement did not name the United States directly, it underscored the principle that sovereignty must be respected and military escalation avoided.

President Maduro has denounced the deployment as an “imperialist provocation” and announced a massive mobilization of Venezuela’s armed forces. Land, sea, air, river, and missile units, along with civilian militias, were placed on alert to defend the nation’s sovereignty.

US regime-change policy 

The deployment of the Gerald R. Ford strike group is widely seen as part of Washington’s broader strategy to oust President Maduro. For years, U.S. administrations have sought to weaken Venezuela’s socialist government through sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and support for opposition figures. The current military buildup fits squarely within this regime-change agenda, raising fears that Venezuela’s sovereignty is under direct threat.

The awarding of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to opposition figure María Corina Machado has added another layer of tension. While celebrated internationally, many Venezuelans view the prize as politicized, serving to delegitimize the elected government and justify foreign intervention. Machado has openly supported Trump’s aggressive stance, describing Maduro’s government as a “criminal narco terrorist structure.” For critics, her recognition is less about peace and more about reinforcing Washington’s regime-change narrative.

Behind the rhetoric of fighting drugs lies a deeper motive: Venezuela’s vast oil wealth. With huge proven reserves, Venezuela possesses the largest oil stockpiles in the world, surpassing Saudi Arabia. Analysts argue that Washington’s pressure on Caracas is tied to securing control over these resources and weakening Venezuela’s socialist government.

Historical parallels

The current escalation fits into a broader pattern of U.S. interventions. In Grenada (1983), the US justified its invasion under the pretext of protecting American citizens, but the deeper motive was to dismantle a leftist government aligned with Cuba. In Panama (1989), the U.S. launched “Operation Just Cause” to remove Manuel Noriega, citing drug trafficking, yet the operation also secured control over the Panama Canal. In Afghanistan (2001–2021), the U.S. claimed to be fighting terrorism and dismantling al-Qaeda, but the war evolved into a two-decade occupation that sought to reshape the region geopolitically and ended in failure. In Iraq (2003), the U.S. claimed to be eliminating weapons of mass destruction, but the invasion ultimately centered on reshaping the Middle East and securing oil interests. And in Vietnam (1955–1975), the U.S. justified its intervention as part of the Cold War struggle against communism, but the war became a catastrophic occupation that cost millions of lives and exposed the limits of military power.

These precedents reveal a consistent pattern: humanitarian or security justifications serve as a cover for geopolitical and economic objectives. Venezuela, with its socialist government and immense oil reserves, now finds itself in the crosshairs of this recurring imperial strategy.

The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is not about combating narcotics—it is about imperial ambition, resource control, and regime-change. Venezuela’s resistance is rooted in defending its sovereignty, a principle enshrined in the UN Charter and reaffirmed by regional declarations. By mobilizing its military and rallying international support, Venezuela is asserting the right of nations to chart their own course free from external coercion, echoing the struggles of Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, and other nations that have faced similar campaigns of intervention.