USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group arrives in SOUTHCOM

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, reached waters off Latin America on Nov. 11, 2025 with about 4,500 sailors, nine air squadrons, and three escorting destroyers. The deployment pushed the U.S. force in the region to about 15,000 troops and more than 10 warships. Analysts noted a carrier is poorly suited to striking small boats but well suited to strikes on land, reading the move as a shift toward pressure on Venezuela.