USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Enters U.S. Southern Command Area to Support Anti-Narcotics Efforts

The group, comprising over 4,000 personnel and multiple air and surface assets, integrates with existing joint forces to enhance detection, monitoring, and disruption of illicit activities.

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN — The U.S. Navy announced the entry of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group into the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility on November 11.

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This deployment aims to strengthen capabilities against narcotics trafficking and transnational criminal organizations in the region encompassing Central and South America, the Caribbean Sea, and adjacent waters.

The group, comprising over 4,000 personnel and multiple air and surface assets, integrates with existing joint forces to enhance detection, monitoring, and disruption of illicit activities.

Official statements emphasize the operation’s alignment with broader security objectives to safeguard the Western Hemisphere. No immediate engagements have been reported, though the presence signals sustained commitment to regional stability.

The carrier group is being deployed amid ongoing efforts to counter drug flows impacting U.S. homeland security. U.S. Southern Command coordinates these activities across 31 countries and 16 dependencies, leveraging multinational partnerships.

The carrier strike group includes nine squadrons from Carrier Air Wing 8, two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and the guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill, providing advanced air, missile defense, and anti-submarine capabilities.

This integration supports a Joint Task Force focused on dismantling criminal networks exploiting maritime domains. Regional governments have been informed, with expectations of collaborative patrols and intelligence sharing.

Deployment Composition, Details, and Capabilities: