Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the United States of “engineering a war” in the Caribbean, following Washington’s deployment of the world’s largest warship to the region.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, capable of carrying up to 90 fighter jets, to depart from the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, October 24th.
“They are engineering a new perpetual war,” Maduro stated to Venezuelan state media. “They promised never again to engage in war, and they are engineering a war,” he added, condemning the move as a clear provocation.
The United States is significantly escalating its military presence in the Caribbean. Washington D.C. has mobilized numerous warships, nuclear submarines, and F-35 aircraft, framing these extensive actions as operations to combat drug traffickers.
The US has also conducted 10 airstrikes against vessels allegedly belonging to drug traffickers. One such attack, in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, October 24th, resulted in the deaths of “six narco-terrorist men,” according to Hegseth. This particular operation, he claimed, targeted a vessel linked to the notorious criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
While the Trump administration asserts it is waging a vital war against drug trafficking, experts and members of Congress widely accuse Trump of actually attempting to destabilize the Maduro government. Maduro, a staunch adversary of Trump, has himself been accused of leading a drug trafficking organization—a grave charge he vehemently denies.
BBC Verify has been meticulously tracking publicly available information on US warships and fighter jets in the Caribbean. Satellite imagery and social media photographs are also being monitored to assess the true extent of the military power deployed by Trump’s administration.
Given the dynamic nature of these troop deployments, the BBC regularly monitors the region for the latest updates. As of October 23rd, our analysis identified 10 US military vessels in the area, including formidable guided-missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and essential oil tankers for at-sea refueling operations.
US Military Deployment
The Pentagon has specifically ordered the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the strategic Caribbean region. This formidable task force includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, recognized globally as the largest aircraft carrier.
Beyond US ships strategically positioned around Puerto Rico—where the US maintains a significant military base—satellite images further reveal two vessels approximately 123 km east of Trinidad and Tobago. One of these is the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie.
The other vessel is the MV Ocean Trader, according to Bradley Martin, a former US Navy captain and current senior policy researcher at RAND Corp. This uniquely modified cargo ship is designed to support special forces missions while discreetly blending in with commercial maritime traffic. It possesses the advanced capability to carry drones, helicopters, and small boats.
Such a versatile vessel can support a wide variety of missions, including critical reconnaissance in preparation for potential strikes. However, Martin emphasized that the mere presence of the MV Ocean Trader “does not necessarily mean that such activities are being undertaken or planned.” Military analysts have also critically pointed out that intercepting drug shipments at sea typically does not necessitate a military force of this immense magnitude.
The US has also significantly bolstered its air capabilities in the region. BBC Verify has identified several US military aircraft in Puerto Rico. Stu Ray, a senior analyst at McKenzie Intelligence Services, reported that satellite imagery from October 17th showed multiple F-35 fighter jets prominently displayed on the tarmac, likely advanced F-35Bs.
These advanced stealth jets are renowned for their capability of short runway takeoffs and vertical landings, significantly enhancing their operational flexibility in diverse environments.
On social media, a private jet pilot shared a video of an MQ-9 Reaper drone, a formidable uncrewed aerial vehicle, recorded at Rafael Hernández Airport in Puerto Rico. This specific drone model has been historically utilized by the US for crucial strike and surveillance operations in various conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Mali.
In early October, BBC Verify meticulously tracked three B-52 bombers flying across the Caribbean and in close proximity to the Venezuelan coast. The US Air Force subsequently confirmed that these powerful aircraft had participated in a “simulated bombing strike,” underscoring their readiness.
Flights by B1 bombers and P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft have also been observed on various aircraft tracking platforms. Additionally, social media images depict specialized military helicopters operating off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. Among these were Boeing MH-6M Little Birds—ominously nicknamed “Killer Eggs”—which are known to be used by elite US special forces.
Is US military deployment solely for combating drugs?
While Donald Trump has explicitly declared the US military deployment to be a crucial war against narcotics traffickers, he specifically claimed that one vessel struck by the US on October 16th was “mostly fentanyl.” However, fentanyl is primarily produced in Mexico, not South America, and largely enters the US via its porous southern border, casting doubt on the primary target’s origin.
“This is not about drugs,” asserted Dr. Sabatini. “Rather, he has adopted the language of the Venezuelan opposition, asserting that this is not merely a dictatorship—it is a criminal regime.”
Since 2020, the US Department of Justice has formally accused President Maduro of leading a pervasive drug trafficking and narco-terrorism organization, grave charges which he consistently denies. Trump himself has stated he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, partly attributing this to “drugs coming in” from the country.
Venezuela itself does not produce cocaine in large quantities, unlike its neighbors Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. While some cocaine is trafficked through Venezuela, the Venezuelan government claims it is actively combating this. A 2025 US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report indicated that 84% of cocaine seized in the US originated from Colombia and listed other relevant countries, but notably did not identify Venezuela as a primary country of origin for cocaine shipments.
Significantly, the first seven US strikes took place in the Caribbean, which is not widely considered a primary maritime route for major drug trafficking operations.
The US has yet to provide detailed evidence supporting its claims that Maduro directly leads a drug trafficking organization. Maduro has repeatedly refuted these allegations, instead accusing the US of imperialism and exacerbating his country’s profound economic crisis through crippling sanctions.
Nonetheless, there have been notable cases prosecuting individuals closely associated with him. In 2016, a New York federal court sentenced two nephews of Maduro’s wife for conspiring to import cocaine into the US. They were specifically accused of planning to use some of the proceeds to fund Maduro’s wife’s political campaign. They were subsequently released in a high-profile prisoner exchange agreement with the US.
What can the CIA do in Venezuela?
When pressed on whether the CIA had been authorized to apprehend Maduro, Donald Trump remained conspicuously evasive, stating it would be “ridiculous” to answer such a question. He also remarked that the US was “considering landings,” vaguely alluding to the possibility of direct military operations in Venezuela.
The CIA is viewed with deep-seated suspicion by many across Latin America, largely due to its long and controversial history of covert interventions, attempts at regime change, and past support for authoritarian right-wing military dictatorships, particularly in Chile and Brazil.
Ned Price, former US Deputy Representative to the United Nations, a former senior CIA analyst, and senior advisor to the State Department, explained that covert CIA actions can manifest “in many forms.” “It could be an information operation. It could be a sabotage operation. It could be funding an opposition party. It could go as far as regime overthrow. There are many options between low-level and high-level options,” he elaborated.
This could include agents being strategically deployed to target suspected human traffickers within Venezuela. By broad US definition, such targeting could potentially extend to Maduro himself, raising significant legal and ethical questions.
Dr. Sabatini noted that since Venezuela is not a primary drug production point, there are no extensive cocaine or fentanyl labs to “eliminate.” However, strategic airfields or critical ports could readily become US targets. “If the US wants to be aggressive, it could send missiles into military barracks. There is strong enough intelligence information that some sectors of the military are involved in cocaine trafficking,” he stated, highlighting potential targets.
CIA operations could also involve a more direct “destroy and seize” approach, he pointed out, which would entail capturing Maduro or some of his key associates and bringing them to trial in the US, a highly contentious scenario.
The significant question, in his view, is how long Trump is willing to keep such extensive US military assets conspicuously deployed in the Caribbean. If the primary objective of this substantial military buildup is merely to threaten Maduro, it remains profoundly unclear whether that alone would be sufficient to trigger meaningful defections within Venezuela.
Whether this dramatic escalation amounts to a genuine attempt to violently overthrow the Maduro regime, Professor Albertus remarked, is ultimately difficult to ascertain with certainty.
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Summary
The United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, numerous warships, submarines, F-35 jets, and other aerial assets. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated these actions are part of operations to combat drug traffickers, citing ten airstrikes against alleged narco-terrorist vessels, including one linked to the Tren de Aragua organization. President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela has condemned this deployment as a “clear provocation,” accusing the U.S. of “engineering a war.”
Despite the US claims of a drug war, experts and analysts widely suggest the extensive military buildup may aim to destabilize the Maduro government, especially since the scale of deployment exceeds typical anti-drug operations. While the US Department of Justice has accused Maduro of leading a drug trafficking organization, a charge he denies, Venezuela is not a primary source for US cocaine or fentanyl. The CIA has also been authorized for covert operations in Venezuela, with various potential actions ranging from intelligence gathering to regime change. The true objective of this military escalation and whether it aims for regime overthrow remains uncertain.