US Carrier Strike Group Heads Toward Latin America: What to Know

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group will bring its firepower to the region, amid a growing campaign of lethal U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats.

An MH-60S Seahawk flies by USS Gerald R. Ford in the North Sea, on Sept. 24, 2025. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gladjimi Balisage

The Pentagon has ordered the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to sail for Latin America to assist in battling drug trafficking in the region, it announced on Oct. 24.

“In support of the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland, the Secretary of War has directed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and embarked carrier air wing to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR),” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on Oct. 24.