The United States has announced a new phase of its military offensive against drug trafficking following the arrival in the Caribbean of the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford. The announcement was made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who, in a message on the social network X, stated: "President Trump ordered action to be taken, and the Department of War is complying. The Western Hemisphere is America's neighborhood, and we will protect it," he added. According to the Argentine News Agency, while no further details of this new phase were provided, experts in Washington highlight that the aircraft carrier, accompanied by its escort fleet, significantly expands the military options for the United States in the region. Last Wednesday, at the end of a G7 ministerial summit in Canada, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Venezuela is "an illegitimate regime, basically a drug trafficking organization that has seized power." The US official also added: "But look, this is an anti-drug operation, and if they stop sending ships with drugs, there will be no problem." Meanwhile, President Donald Trump had indicated in a television interview that he had no intention of going to war with Caracas, but when asked if the days of Nicolás Maduro in power were numbered, he replied: "I would say yes." The USS Gerald Ford, with its adjacent fleet of ships, joins the six vessels already present in the Caribbean and another in the Pacific, according to the site dw, while also noting that the two dozen attacks on vessels allegedly carrying drugs have so far caused a minimum of 76 deaths. Trump also indicated that ground attacks are being prepared on the horizon, in addition to suggesting that the CIA may already be operating in the region. #AgenciaNA Today announces "Operation Southern Lance." "This mission defends our homeland, expels narco-terrorists from our hemisphere, and protects our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people."
