Pentagon Sends Carrier Strike Group To SOUTHCOM For Cartel Crackdown Amid Border Security Push

The Pentagon authorized deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the U.S. Southern Command area to disrupt transnational cartels and narcotics trafficking, citing homeland security concerns. The move builds on recent warship deployments and bomber patrols following the administration’s terror designations for certain cartels, increasing pressure on Venezuela and Colombia. Officials did not specify whether the group will operate in the Caribbean or Pacific, but the escalation aligns with an accelerating enforcement posture in the region.