amphibious

Even as the U.S. continues to build up forces in the Caribbean ostensibly for an enhanced counternarcotics operation that could include inland strikes, there are reported plans underway for attacks on cartels inside Mexico.

The San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship USS Fort Lauderdale has left Mayport, Florida, and is returning to the Caribbean to rejoin the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), a U.S. official confirmed to The War Zone Monday morning. The vessel left on Sunday and is now south of Miami in the Straits of Florida, according to an online ship tracker. It will provide additional air and troop support once it arrives on station. San Antonio class ships can launch and land two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters or two MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft or up to four AH-1Z, UH-1Y or MH-60 helicopters at once. In addition, they can carry Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft or other landing craft and boats in their well deck, and can transport up to 800 Marines.

The Fort Lauderdale is set to rejoin a flotilla of at least eight other surface warships plus a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine arrayed for an enhanced counter-narcotics mission also aimed, at least partially, at Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro. The Henry J. Kaiser class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha is in the region as well, the Navy official told us. In addition, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and one of its escort ships, the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge, are currently in the western Mediterranean Sea, heading toward the Caribbean, a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone. It could take as long as another week for those ships to arrive in the Caribbean, the official added.

The MV Ocean Trader – a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship modified to carry special operators and their gear – has also appeared in several places around the Caribbean in recent weeks. Navy officials and U.S. Special Operations Command have declined to comment on this vessel. The ship, which TWZ first reported on back in 2016, has been something of a ghost since entering service, popping up in hot spots around the globe.

There is also an increasing buildup on the land. Reuters noted that the U.S. is continuing to make improvements at the former Roosevelt Roads Navy base for use by combat and cargo aircraft. Since August, the facility has been used as a central logistics hub, with frequent landings by airlifters and by aircraft from the 22nd MEU as well. The new additions include Mobile Aircraft Arresting Systems for stopping incoming fast jets. As we have reported in the past, Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighters are already operating from there and the MAAS can help support I fighters during emergencies. The incoming USS Gerald R. Ford’s air wing, for instance, could use the base as a divert location.

The military has also set up 20 tents at the installation.

📍José Aponte de la Torre Airport, #UnitedStates (🇺🇸)

Recent @Reuters photos from José Aponte de la Torre Airport viewing the ongoing C-17A Globemaster III logistics operations unloading cargo at the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. pic.twitter.com/mgpPjJxwOu

— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) November 3, 2025

Satellite images show construction of an ammunition storage facility at the airport at Rafael Hernandez Airport, the second-busiest civilian airport in Puerto Rico.

Reuters also found significant changes at Rafael Hernandez Airport. The US military has moved in communications gear and a mobile air traffic control tower. Satellite images show construction of an ammunition storage facility at the airport -Reuters pic.twitter.com/L3lRCwr3kU

— barry with the NED (@bonzerbarry) November 2, 2025

Beyond Puerto Rico, the U.S. has set up a new radar system at an airport in St. Croix.

A AN/TPS-75, which acts as the primary land-based tactical air defense radar for the U.S. Air Force, seen deployed late last month at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on the Island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, just to the southeast of Puerto Rico and roughly 450 miles to the… pic.twitter.com/eaC3vEybgU

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 2, 2025

Despite the buildup, the Trump administration’s goal remains unclear. In an interview on Sunday with CBS News’ 60 Minutes, President Donald Trump offered a mixed message about his plans for Venezuela.

Asked if the U.S. was going to war with the South American nation, Trump answered, “I doubt it. I don’t think so. But they’ve been treating us very badly, not only on drugs – they’ve dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country that we didn’t want, people from prisons – they emptied their prisons into our country.”

Later in the interview, the president was asked if “Maduro’s days as president are numbered.”

“I would say ‘yeah. I think so, yeah,” Trump responded. The American leader, however, declined to offer any details about what that meant.

“I’m not gonna tell you what I’m gonna do with Venezuela, if I was gonna do it or if I wasn’t going to do it,” he explained when queried about whether he will order land attacks in Venezuela.

As for why the Ford carrier strike group is heading toward the Caribbean, Trump explained, “it’s gotta be somewhere. It’s a big one.”

Officials in Russia, which recently ratified a mutual support agreement with Venezuela, have voiced their support for Maduro.

Moscow “resolutely condemns the use of excessive military force” by the U.S. in the Caribbean,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding that Russia fully supports the Venezuelan government in its efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and maintain the region as a “zone of peace.”

Amid the growing tensions, Russian aircraft have landed in Venezuela. potentially with military supplies, Defense News reported last week.

A russian Il-76 landed in Venezuela following Maduro’s appeal to the russian Federation for military assistance, – Defense News.

These aircraft were previously used to transport weapons, military equipment, and even russian mercenaries. pic.twitter.com/M6cC7Srwz8

— Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) November 1, 2025

Meanwhile, as Trump maintains a level of strategic ambiguity about his objectives toward Maduro, the U.S “has begun detailed planning for a new mission to send American troops and intelligence officers into Mexico to target drug cartels,” NBC News reported Monday morning.  That possibility and how it could happen were subjects we examined in great detail back in February, which you can read about here.

While no deployments are imminent, training for such a mission is already underway, the network added.

“The U.S. troops, many of whom would be from Joint Special Operations Command, would operate under the authority of the U.S. intelligence community, known as Title 50 status,” NBC posited, citing two anonymous U.S. officials. ”They said officers from the CIA also would participate.”

These operations would have U.S. troops in Mexico “mainly use drone strikes to hit drug labs and cartel members and leaders,” the report continued. “Some of the drones that special forces would use require operators to be on the ground to use them effectively and safely, the officials said.”

As we have previously wrote, such an operation would be precedent-setting. While U.S. troops like Green Berets from the 7th Special Forces Group routinely work with Mexican forces, training them to hit cartels and serving as observers on raids, there has yet to be a known U.S. military kinetic action inside Mexico.

The most famous example of a covert strike using U.S. troops under Title 50 authority was the 2011 Navy SEAL attack on al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden, but what NBC is describing is a much more sustained operation with increased risks, a former White House official under the first Trump administration told us.

“This seems like more of a campaign,” Javed Ali, who worked in the National Security Council’s (NSC) counterterrorism unit during the first Trump administration, explained. “What the administration is trying to achieve under Title 50 is ostensibly to use military force, but covertly. But in this day of social media, it is harder to not have that revealed. They lose the element of surprise.”

As we have previously reported, Mexico’s increasingly well-armed drug cartels pose a serious threat to external forces. Some cartel units are have adopted some of the latest features of warfare. They have been using drones to attack enemies for years now, for instance. These organizations also often move around in increasingly well-protected so-called “narco tanks.” 

Ali raised an additional concern. Would the cartels, who already have operatives in the United States, strike back if they were attacked in Mexico?

“The enemy gets a vote,” Ali suggested. “Would the cartels be so bold to actually conduct attacks inside the United States is an open question. If a cartel lab gets blown up or cartel leaders are killed in drone strikes, how would they respond? Inside the government, I would have to think they are looking at all those contingencies.”

Still, even with these risks, it seems clear the Trump is willing to go further than his predecessors in hopes of significantly reducing the flow of narcotics into the United States. Public support for such actions will likely be dictated by losses of American troops — if any — in the process, should such operations move forward. It’s also not clear where the Mexican government stands on this issue at this time.

It is unknown exactly what the Trump administration will do when it comes to countering cartels and taking on Maduro. However, while U.S. strikes against the Venezuelan cartels have been limited to attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats, the possibility exists that America could soon find itself conducting kinetic strikes on two fronts in its own backyard.

Update: 5:03 PM Eastern –

The Navy provided us with some context about why the Fort Lauderdale was in Mayport.

“The USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) returned to Naval Station Mayport from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2, 2025, for a mid-deployment voyage repair (MDVR) and maintenance period. NS Mayport’s facilities offered the most expedient option with the best infrastructure, maintenance, repair, and logistical support for the maintenance period.

A Mid-Deployment voyage repair (MDVR) is a period, roughly halfway through a ship’s deployment, where necessary and preventative maintenance and repairs are made. This MDVR allowed Fort Lauderdale to conduct vital maintenance to the ship with the support of in-port services.

In-port maintenance and logistical support enable the ship to correct and maintain materiel readiness, warfighter readiness, and sustainability.”

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The U.S. Marine Corps recently marked the formal decommissioning of the tracked Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) family after more than five decades of service. Since 2018, the Marines have been working to replace the AAV fleet with new Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV), an 8×8 wheeled design.

The Marines held a sundown ceremony for the AAV at the Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton, California, on September 26, according to an official release put out yesterday. Whether any AAVs technically remain assigned to units as the service continues to work out plans for their final disposition is unclear.

The retirement event at Camp Pendleton featured a small parade of the vehicles, one of which had an individual in an alligator suit standing in an open hatch, as seen at the top of this story. Alligator and gator have been common nicknames for tracked amphibious vehicles, in general, since they first began entering U.S. military service during World War II. The term amtrac, a portmanteau of amphibious tractor, is also commonly used in the United States to refer to vehicles of this type.

The AAV family “has been many things, a ship-to-shore connector, an armored fighting vehicle, a troop carrier, a logistics platform and even sometimes a live [sic; life] boat,” Marine Col. Lynn Berendsen, the Assault Amphibian School’s commanding officer, said at the ceremony, according to the release. “Most importantly, it was in a place where Marines made their mark in combat, in service and in sacrifice.”

The Marine Corps began fielding what was originally known as the Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel-7 (LVTP-7) in 1972. The LVTP-7 was smaller, lighter, and could carry fewer personnel inside than the preceding LVTP-5, which had entered service in 1956, but was faster on land and in the water and offered greater unrefueled range. Unlike its predecessor, which relied on its tracks for propulsion in the water, the LVTP-7 also featured a pair of water jets on either side of the rear of the hull. The vehicle was armed with a single .50 caliber M85 machine gun in a turret on top of the front of the hull, offset to the right. The Marines received additional specialized variants configured for command and control (LVTC-7) and recovery (LVTR-7) missions, as well.

The LVTP-7 arrived too late for service in the Vietnam War, but Marines did bring them to Lebanon in the early 1980s as part of a multi-national peacekeeping operation. They were also employed in the amphibious assault role as part of the U.S. intervention in Grenada in 1983. It’s also worth noting here that LVTP-7s were offered for export, and Argentinian examples were used in the opening phase of the Falklands War in 1982.

Starting in the early 1980s, the Marine Corps’ LVTP-7 fleet was also put through a major upgrade program, which included a host of improvements, including a new engine and transmission, and updates to the water jet pumps. The resulting vehicles were redesignated AAVP-7s. The LVTC-7s and LVTR-7s were also brought up to this new configuration, becoming AAVC-7s and AAVR-7s. Later in the 1980s, the original M85-armed turrets on the AAVs also began being replaced with completely new ones sporting the much more common M2 .50 caliber machine gun and a 40mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher.

The Marines took their improved AAVs into combat during the Gulf War in 1991. The vehicles were also employed in other operations in the years following the end of the Cold War, including in Somalia in the early 1990s. This period also saw the development and fielding of the Enhanced Applique Armor Kits (EAAK), giving the vehicles improved protection against small arms fire and shrapnel.

The AAVs went through another round of major upgrades starting in the late 1990s, including another engine change and improvements to the suspension. The resulting A1 variants notably had the same engine and other components as the U.S. Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicles, offering additional logistical and supply chain benefits.

Marines brought AAVs with them back to Iraq in 2003, where their performance faced significant criticism, especially over the level of protection afforded to the crew and passengers. Eight of the vehicles were damaged or destroyed during the Battle of Nasiriyah, with at least one having been struck by fire from a friendly U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthog ground attack jet.

“I can think of several times in and around Fallujah in 2005 having been shot at many times, having had bullets bounce off the side of the vehicle, knowing that it was going to operate every time I needed it to,” Assault Amphibian School commander Col. Berendsen did tell our colleagues at Task & Purpose in an interview yesterday. “It was just one of those things that I was very comfortable operating in, and I knew it was always going to take on the job, no matter what it was after.”

Starting in 2012, the Marines had moved to replace AAVs with a more modern amtrac called the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). The EFV was notably designed to travel at nearly 30 miles per hour over the water by hydroplaning. This was intended to allow U.S. Navy amphibious warfare ships to deploy the vehicles from much further offshore, helping to protect them from growing threats, especially shore-based anti-ship cruise missile batteries. The EFV also featured a turret with a 30mm automatic cannon, offering a significant boost in firepower.

All of this came at a price, with the EFV eventually having an estimated unit cost of around $20 million, more than that of a contemporary variant of the M1 Abrams tank. While the original goal was for the first EFVs to be fielded in 2015, the program was instead cancelled over cost growth in 2011. Development of another round of upgrades for the AAVs, with a heavy focus on improved survivability, began in 2015, but was also canceled in 2018 following the decision to acquire the new ACVs.

By that point, the aging AAVs had also become increasingly prone to serious and sometimes deadly accidents, including fires and instances where the vehicles sunk, trapping their occupants. In a particularly infamous incident in July 2020, one of the vehicles sank during training in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Clemente Island, California, killing the eight Marines and one U.S. Navy sailor on board. In late 2021, the Marines ceased regular deployments of AAVs and banned them from entering the water except in support of emergency crisis response operations. The vehicles were still being used in exercises on land, including ones overseas, as recently as last month.

The replacement ACVs also suffered a string of accidents early in their fielding. The Marines placed the blame for that largely on the 8×8 wheeled design being substantially different from the tracked AAV, and personnel having trouble making the transition. ACVs are now in regular use in support of operations worldwide, and the service is in the process of acquiring additional variants, including ones featuring turrets with 30mm automatic cannons.

The Marine Corps’ decision to go with a wheeled design over a tracked one in the first place had been the subject of much debate. In particular, compared to tracked types, wheeled armored vehicles have historically offered mixed performance on softer ground, like sandy beaches, but also higher speeds on firmer ground, especially improved roads. The ACV is also notably no faster in the water than the AAV. You can read more about all of this here.

Since 2020, the Marine Corps’ overall view of armored vehicles has changed dramatically, as well. The service is still in the process of a total overhaul of its force structure in line with new expeditionary and distributed concepts of operations (CONOPS), which notably put significantly less emphasis on operations involving heavy forces deploying via traditional large amphibious warfare ships. This already led to the total divestment of its M1 Abrams tanks. The planned total size of the ACV fleet was also slashed from 1,122 vehicles to 632.

AAVs do continue to serve in many other armed forces globally, and the current prime contractor for the vehicles, U.K.-headquartered BAE Systems, continues to offer them for sale. American allies and partners have also already moved to acquire second-hand ex-Marine Corps examples in recent years.

Regardless of how the Marine Corps’ ACV and other armored vehicle plans may now continue to evolve, the sun has set on the service’s AAVs.

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As the U.S. deploys an armada of ships and aircraft to the southern Caribbean, at least partly aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, the U.S. Navy and Marines are conducting an amphibious landing training exercise in southern Puerto Rico. While the U.S. Marine Corps does not make any mention of Maduro or Venezuela in its media release about the exercise, the move comes as tensions are mounting between Washington and Caracas over the flow of illegal narcotics. The Trump administration considers Maduro a “narco-terrorist” and has raised the award for his arrest to $50 million. You can catch up with our most recent reporting on the Caribbean deployments here.

Meanwhile, the U.S. carried out a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X this afternoon, following comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump. Striking this vessel points to a new kinetic angle to this effort, a major escalation. You can read more about the attack in our story here.

The amphibious training exercise, which began two days ago, involves Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The 22nd MEU, part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), left Norfolk Aug. 14, bound for the southern Caribbean. That force included more than 4,500 sailors and Marines on three ships: The Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships the USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale.

The Marines and sailors involved in the training exercise are part of the ARG/MEU dispatched for the drug interdiction effort, a Navy official told The War Zone Tuesday afternoon. The three ships are currently near Puerto Rico, the official added. Given the training efforts, at least some of these vessels are almost assuredly taking part, though neither the Navy nor Marines could immediately confirm that. The Navy referred us to the Marines for clarification, and we will update this story with any pertinent details provided.

The deployment of the ARG/MEU is part of a much larger movement that also includes three Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers, a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, a Los Angeles class fast attack nuclear submarine as well as land-based surveillance aircraft. The movement of equipment and personnel is part of Trump’s continuing efforts to take on cartels.

The Puerto Rico training exercise “is designed to enhance the 22nd MEU’s readiness and capabilities, while also fostering stronger relationships with the Puerto Rican National Guard,” the 22nd MEU said in its release. “Amphibious operations are a cornerstone of naval integration and a core competency of the 22nd MEU. They enable the rapid deployment of Marines from naval vessels to shore, supporting U.S. strategic objectives.”

Whether coincidental or not, there are many physical and environmental similarities between Puerto Rico and Venezuela, located about 500 miles south of the U.S. territory.

“The challenging terrain and tropical climate of Puerto Rico provides an ideal environment for the 22nd MEU to conduct realistic amphibious training and hone specialized skills such as patrolling, reconnaissance, and survival techniques, ensuring a high level of readiness while forward deployed,” the unit explained. “These operations offer a valuable opportunity to train alongside the National Guard, leveraging existing military training facilities on the island. The 22nd MEU is actively seeking ways to expand collaborative training opportunities, including jungle training, combined exercises and community engagement events. These combined efforts are aimed at enhancing regional security, disaster response capabilities, and joint capacity building.”

In addition to the ARG/MEU ships, Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham are underway in the southern Caribbean, the Navy official told us.

Meanwhile, at least two Navy warships have reached or transited the Panama Canal. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie recently passed through the canal from the Pacific to the Caribbean. The Panama Canal opens up into that body of water about 600 miles southwest of Venezuela.

Overnight, guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) transited the Panama Canal northbound and entered the Caribbean Sea. Following the transit, Lake Erie stopped broadcasting its position, steaming at 17 knots on a 36° course, heading in the direction of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/aNmeJhmN4y

— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) August 30, 2025

In addition, the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Sampson is docked on the Pacific side of the canal, the Navy official added. Citing Navy policy against publicly disclosing the location of its submarine force, the official would not comment on the whereabouts of the Los Angeles class fast attack submarine USS Newport News, also part of this effort.

While there is no indication that the U.S. plans to land forces in Venezuela, has the deployed capacity to do so effectively, or that any U.S. vessels are close by, Maduro and his military say they are ready to repel any attack.

“In the face of this maximum military pressure, we have declared maximum preparedness for the defense of Venezuela,” Maduro said Monday of the deployment, which he characterized as “an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.”

Maduro called the U.S. buildup “the greatest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years” in the form of “eight military ships with 1,200 missiles” targeting Venezuela.

Maduro asegura que 1.200 misiles y un submarino nuclear apuntan contra Venezuela

La Casa Blanca ha confirmado un despliegue militar en el Caribe como parte de su estrategia antidrogas, y aseguró que cuenta con el respaldo de varios países latinoamericanos. Maduro afirma que su… pic.twitter.com/KDAO2dUmLX

— DW Español (@dw_espanol) September 2, 2025

While the exact nature of this movement remains unclear, and no overt threats of kinetic action against Maduro directly have been made by the Trump administration, the Venezuelan dictator seems to be gearing up for a fight. Late last month, he announced the planned deployment of more than 4.5 million militia members around the country. They are volunteers designated to bolster the armed forces’ defense against external and domestic attacks. In addition, Venezuela announced it was deploying 15,000 troops toward the border with Colombia to conduct counter-drug operations.

Rubio said recently that “for the first time in the modern era,” the U.S. government was “truly on the offense” against organized cartels sending drugs to the United States, The New York Times noted. He and other officials in the Trump administration have called Mr. Maduro an illegitimate leader and his government a “narco-terror cartel.”

Maduro was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine.  The U.S., as we previously mentioned, has issued a $50 million reward for his capture.

El primer póster oficial del gobierno de los Estados Unidos por la captura del terrorista latinoamericano más buscado de todos los tiempos: el venezolano Nicolas Maduro Moros. pic.twitter.com/Pq0ElEOGuF

— Agustín Antonetti (@agusantonetti) August 8, 2025

Last week, someone with direct knowledge of the operations told us that the U.S. is building up military assets in the region aimed as a direct message at Maduro in addition to taking part in counter-drug operations. With the aforementioned attack on a Venezuelan cartel drug boat, this has now become a lethal drug interdiction effort.

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U.S. President Donald Trump is deploying a flotilla of warships and other military assets to the waters off Venezuela in an operation aimed at Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The ominous move signals a growing frustration with the Venezuelan leader over the flow of illicit narcotics into the United States. Maduro remains a fugitive from a 2020 U.S. indictment on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges.

Trump last week ordered at least three Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers, a submarine and other assets to head toward the South American nation, a source familiar with the operation confirmed to The War Zone on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that in addition to the destroyers, some 4,000 Marines aboard an Amphibious Ready Group made-up of three ships were also deploying to the region. If this ends up being the case, it would put a remarkably large, versatile, and powerful armada of U.S. ships off Venezuela’s coast.

While the exact nature of this movement remains unclear, it is part of Trump’s larger effort to get the military involved in the fight against drug traffickers. In response, Maduro on Monday announced the planned deployment of more than 4.5 million militia members around the country. They are volunteers designated to bolster the armed forces’ defense against external and domestic attacks.

“The empire has gone mad and has renewed its threats to Venezuela’s peace and tranquility,” Maduro said at an event in Caracas, without mentioning any specific action.

Trump, whose problems with Maduro date back to the American president’s first term, has accused the Venezuelan leader of being a key part of the international drug trade he targeted as a top priority to fight. The White House considers Maduro a “narco-terrorist.”

“President Trump has been very clear and consistent,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday when asked about the troop deployments and whether the U.S. will put boots on the ground in Venezuela. “He’s prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela. It is a narco-terror cartel led by Maduro. It is the view of this administration that he is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into the country.”

Exactly what the U.S. plans to do with its military assets in regards to Maduro remains murky.

Last week, U.S. officials told CNN that it had ordered naval movements in the region to contain the threat from drug trafficking groups. On Monday, Reuters reported that the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson and some 4,000 military personnel would arrive at the edge of Venezuela’s territorial waters within the next 36 hours.

“That U.S. official, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the additional commitment of military assets in the broader region would include several P-8 spy planes, warships and at least one attack submarine,” Reuters added. “The official said the process would be ongoing for several months and the plan was for them to operate in international airspace and international waters.” The P-8 is a maritime patrol aircraft, not primarily a spy plane, but it is capable of myriad surveillance tasks.

In addition, the official told Reuters that the naval assets “can be used to not just carry out intelligence and surveillance operations, but also as a launching pad for targeted strikes if a decision is made.”

On Tuesday, however, a US Department of Defense official told CNN there were no U.S. warships in the area, nor have the ships received orders to head there. We have reached out to the White House for clarification and will update this story with any pertinent details provided.

Meanwhile our friends at Task & Purpose (T&P) on Monday reported that the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) “set sail out of Naval Station Norfolk on Aug. 14. The force includes more than 4,500 sailors and Marines on three ships: The Wasp class amphibious assault ship, the USS Iwo Jima, and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships the USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale.”

Though T&P noted that the Navy initially described the ARG/MEU movement as a “regularly scheduled deployment,” the outlet added that Reuters and CNN both reported that the Iwo Jima ARG was heading to the southern Caribbean as part of anti-drug trafficking efforts. 

“A defense official familiar with the situation confirmed those reports to Task & Purpose,” the outlet added.

The Iwo Jima ARG’s deployment was interrupted, however, when Hurricane Erin forced it back to Norfolk, USNI reported on Tuesday.

Maduro was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine. 

“For more than 20 years, Maduro and a number of high-ranking colleagues allegedly conspired with the FARC, causing tons of cocaine to enter and devastate American communities,” then-U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr said at the time.

Back then, the U.S. offered a $15 million reward for his arrest. It was later bumped up to $25 million and earlier this month, the Trump Justice Department announced it was increasing the reward to $50 million. In another action against Venezuelan cartels, Trump in February designated that nation’s Tren de Aragua, MS-13 in El Salvador and six groups based in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations. His administration has also stepped up immigration enforcement against alleged gang members, including sending thousands of troops to the southern border.

While the nature of the U.S. military response is yet unknown, the deployment of an ARG and guided missile destroyers sends a very strong signal to Maduro. The Pentagon could carry out airstrikes, interdict shipments, or even put a limited number of boots on the ground from international waters in a hurry should Trump so decide.

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