Venezuela on High Alert as USS Gerald R. Ford Joins U.S. Naval Buildup

CVN-78 USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered supercarrier and the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was anchored in the Bay of Palma after docking at Palma de Mallorca on October 3, 2025.

Overview

U.S. officials confirmed that the Navy’s most advanced carrier has been deployed to the Latin American theater, capping a months-long military buildup that has coincided with rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela. The Pentagon said the deployment would "enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organisations."

U.S. operations and regional buildup

The carrier joined a regional force that U.S. officials say already included eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, F-35 combat jets and roughly 10,000 personnel. The Trump administration has described those deployments as part of a "non-international armed conflict" against so-called "narcoterrorists," which it alleges are backed by the Venezuelan government.

In September, U.S. forces began striking vessels in the Caribbean that they suspected of involvement with criminal organizations such as Tren de Aragua (TDA). Media and government reports say more than a dozen vessels near Venezuelan waters have been attacked since, with reported fatalities exceeding 75; however, the U.S. government has not publicly released evidence that the struck ships were carrying illicit drugs.

Escalation risks and rhetoric

What began as an operation against criminal networks has risked becoming a broader confrontation with Caracas. President Donald Trump has denied he seeks regime change but has repeatedly called President Nicolás Maduro illegitimate and accused him of supporting the cartels. Trump also publicly confirmed authorization for covert CIA missions in Venezuela and said in October:

"We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control."

President Maduro has accused the U.S. of fabricating a pretext for war:

"They promised they would never again get involved in a war and they are fabricating a war that we will avoid."

How Venezuela says it is preparing

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced a move to place the armed forces on "full operational readiness," ordering the deployment of land, air, riverine and missile units, together with the country’s militia, under what Caracas calls "Independence Plan 200." Padrino López framed the mobilization as a response to "imperial threats," while insisting Venezuela does not seek war.

The government has also intensified civilian training and mobilization. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello swore in a newly organized "peasant militia" in October. Open-source estimates place Venezuela’s armed forces at roughly 340,000 personnel — far smaller than the U.S. active-duty force — and analysts say the militia traditionally receives less training than regular units.

Guerrilla plans and "anarchization"

Reporting by Reuters and other outlets indicates Venezuelan planners are preparing for a range of scenarios, including the possibility of a foreign ground invasion. Sources say Caracas has considered a guerrilla-style resistance — dispersing smaller units across more than 280 locations to sustain a prolonged campaign — and exploring an "anarchization" strategy in which loyalists and intelligence networks would foment disorder to complicate governance if the government were overthrown.

Counterintelligence and civilian reporting tools

Authorities have adapted domestic digital tools to limit perceived U.S. intelligence advantages. A municipal help app, VenApp, originally intended for reporting utility issues, has reportedly been repurposed to allow citizens to report suspicious behavior. Amnesty International previously documented cases in which VenApp was used against political dissidents; Venezuelan officials have since discussed a new version of the app that would let residents report drones, suspicious people or other activities the government views as signs of disloyalty.

Foreign assistance and readiness concerns

Caracas has long relied on foreign partners for military hardware and, amid heightened tensions, reportedly requested defensive radars, aircraft repairs and potentially missiles from allies including China, Iran and Russia, according to the Washington Post. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was "ready to respond appropriately to the requests of our partners in light of emerging threats."

However, reporting in outlets such as the Financial Times and other analysts note that Venezuela’s military personnel and equipment — from helicopters to vehicles and munitions — suffer from chronic maintenance shortfalls and degraded readiness, which would limit the country’s capacity for sustained, high-intensity conflict.

What to watch next

Key indicators to monitor include official U.S. statements about evidence linking specific vessels to drug trafficking, any further troop or air asset movements in the region, Venezuelan mobilization orders, and diplomatic activity with China, Russia and Iran. Independent verification of incidents at sea, humanitarian impacts, and credible assessments of Venezuelan military readiness will shape how observers judge the risk of broader confrontation.

Contact: letters@time.com