‘Lethal’ and largest in the world: meet the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, sent by Trump to the Caribbean to pressure Maduro; INFOGRAPHIC

Meet the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in the Latin American area of ​​operations this Tuesday (11), according to the United States Navy. The vessel was sent to the region by order of President Donald Trump to support actions against drug trafficking. On the other hand, authorities claim that the operation aims to overthrow the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The USS Gerald R. Ford is the largest, most lethal and adaptable aircraft carrier in the world, in addition to being the most modern and technologically advanced in the USA, according to the American Navy. Added to the American arsenal in 2017, the aircraft carrier has the capacity to house up to 90 aircraft, including fighters and helicopters. It has a runway for landings and take-offs with an area equivalent to three times the size of the Maracanã lawn. The carrier strike group includes squadrons of F-18 fighters, military helicopters, as well as three destroyers — the USS Mahan, USS Bainbridge and USS Winston Churchill. Named after former President Gerald Ford, who governed the US between 1974 and 1977, the aircraft carrier is considered the Navy’s main asset for power projection, deterrence and sea control. “The USS Gerald Ford is one of the greatest naval firepowers that the US can project,” says Vitelio Brustolin, professor of International Relations at UFF and researcher at Harvard. “His deployment is an unequivocal sign that Washington is willing to employ military force in addition to recent actions against boats and speedboats in the Caribbean.” Learn more about the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford in the infographic below. Discover the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world and the most advanced in the United States Navy. Art team/g1 In an October statement, the Pentagon stated that the mission of the USS Gerald Ford strike group in the Caribbean will be to “expand and strengthen existing capabilities to disrupt drug trafficking and degrade and dismantle” Latin American cartels, declared targets of the Trump administration. On Tuesday, the Navy said the aircraft carrier will support operations to “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and combat narcoterrorism in defense of the Homeland.” There is no public confirmation of the ship’s location. Since crossing the Strait of Gibraltar and entering the Atlantic on November 4, the aircraft carrier’s transponder has been turned off to keep its position secret, a common procedure in military operations. Operation in the Caribbean Aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, of the United States Navy, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. Alyssa Joy/United States Navy The vessels and aircraft of the USS Gerald Ford strike group add to the United States’ already robust military presence in the Caribbean Sea, consisting of warships, fighter jets, special operations helicopters and bomber planes. In two months, the US attacked 20 vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific, in actions that left more than 70 people dead. According to the American command, the boats belonged to narco-terrorist organizations. The attacks began in September, just days after the US doubled the reward to US$50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest or conviction and launched a military operation against drug trafficking in the Caribbean. The US government accuses Maduro of leading the Cartel de los Soles, a group classified as an international terrorist organization. In this scenario, American authorities claim that the Venezuelan president can be considered a legitimate target in actions against cartels. Last week, The New York Times stated that Trump has several military options on the table, including attacks on Venezuelan authorities and measures to take control of the country’s oil. “The Atlantic” magazine reported that Maduro would be willing to negotiate his departure from power, as long as he received amnesty and security guarantees to live in exile. Russia declared its readiness to support Caracas in the escalation against the US. Meanwhile, Trump has been justifying the offensives by saying that each bombed vessel represents 25,000 American lives saved. He also admitted that he intends to carry out ground attacks against cartels, without specifying which countries would be targeted. In October, the American president announced that he authorized special operations by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Venezuelan territory. He did not say whether the agents received authorization to kill Maduro. Venezuela on alert The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, during an indigenous event on October 12, 2025 Frederico Parra/AFP Maduro is preparing the country to fight in a guerrilla scheme if a US land invasion takes place, according to information published by Reuters on Tuesday. The Maduro government’s plans include the mobilization of weapons from the military arsenal, distributed strategically, including decades-old Russian equipment, says the agency. Venezuelan Army units would be instructed to disperse and hide in the event of an attack. “We wouldn’t last two hours in a conventional war,” a source close to the government told Reuters. The country is on high alert due to the possibility of a direct attack by the Trump administration. According to American media, the president is just waiting for a legal justification to authorize military action. Trump suggested the possibility of ground operations in Venezuela and said earlier this month that he thought “Maduro’s days as president of Venezuela are numbered.” VIDEOS: trending on g1 See videos that are trending on g1

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