U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed the ship to join a joint force to help “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism.”
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, led by the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, to support President Donald Trump’s directive to “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland.”
As a result, the group entered the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, which includes all of Central America, South America and the Caribbean, on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
“The enhanced U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell. “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations.”
The Gerald R. Ford arrived with more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft aboard, according to the Navy’s press office. They said the ship provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders increased capacity to project power through sustained operations at sea. The carrier can simultaneously catapult launch and recover fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck, day or night, in support of tasked operations, according to the Navy.
Officials said the strike group will be joining forces that are already in the area, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit, under a Joint Task Force, created to defeat and dismantle criminal networks that exploit our shared borders and maritime domains.
“Through unwavering commitment and the precise use of our forces, we stand ready to combat the transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region, said Adm. Alvin Holsey, Commander, SOUTHCOM. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group’s deployment represents a critical step in reinforcing our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphere and the safety of the American homeland.”