Here is what Maduro faces as the U.S. amasses a huge armada off Venezuela’s coast
From the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford to the submarines prowling the depths of the Caribbean, the United States has assembled a military force unseen in the region for decades.
Officially, the buildup is part of President Donald Trump’s renewed war on drug cartels. But sources familiar with the operation told the Miami Herald that the largest U.S. military deployment in Latin America since the Cold War has a broader goal — the end of Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela.
The scale and composition of the U.S. force recall Operation Just Cause, the 1989 invasion of Panama that ousted strongman Manuel Noriega, though current operations officially remain limited to counter-narcotics enforcement. Analysts warn that even a limited strike on Venezuelan military targets could rapidly escalate into a collapse of the Maduro regime.
Read more: U.S. poised to strike military targets in Venezuela in escalation against Maduro regime
Up to 10,000 soldiers and military personnel have been reported to form part of the deployment. In addition, the U.S. could use a significant number of fighter planes and strategic bombers stationed in nearby U.S. bases.
Here is a more detailed look at the primary U.S. military assets currently positioned or recently sighted near Venezuelan waters:
U.S. naval assets near Venezuela as of Oct. 31.
Carrier Strike Group
• USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) — Deployed on Oct. 24 under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s orders, the world’s largest aircraft carrier has nearly 90 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornets and E-2D Hawkeyes. While details of the carrrier group’s makeup for the Caribbean have not been released, the carrier is normally accompanied by these ships:
• USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) — An Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
• USS Ramage (DDG-61) — An Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
• USS Carney (DDG-64) — An Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
• USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) — An Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
Cruisers
• USS Lake Erie (CG-70) - The Lake Erie is an older, larger cruiser with a strong focus on anti-air warfare, while the Arleigh Burke class destroyers, such as the USS Gravely, are newer, more modern and now considered the backbone of the fleet due to their versatility. Both classes of ships are capable of performing a wide range of missions, including anti-air, anti-submarine, and surface warfare, and are equipped with the same core weapons systems like Tomahawks and standard missiles.
Guided-missile destroyers, Arleigh Burke class
These are multi-mission platforms equipped with Aegis radar systems. and capable of anti-submarine and land-attack operations.
• USS Gravely (DDG-107) – Departed from Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, on Oct. 30 after joint drills. Trinidad is seven miles from Venezuela’s northern coast.
• USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109)
• USS Sampson (DDG-102)
Attack submarines
• USS Newport News (SSN-750) – Los Angeles-class, nuclear-powered fast attack sub that can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles.
• One Virginia-class submarine that has not been identified. Virginia-class subs are fast-attack and are capable of carrying cruise missiles.
Littoral Combat Ship
• USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) – The Freedom class ship specialize in near-shore operation.s They can conduct fast patrol and small-boat interdiction missions
• USS Wichita (sighted Oct. 12–16) Like the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, it is capable of air defense and Tomahawk missile strikes. The ship docked in Puerto Rico in late October.
Amphibious assault ships
• USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) – Wasp class. Carries about 2,200 Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit; participated in landing exercises off the coast of Puerto Rico on Sept. 5
• Amphibious Transport Docks
• USS San Antonio (LPD-17) These San Antonio-class ships are built for amphibious warfare, and can embark, transport and land elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions.
• USS Fort Lauderdale — A second San Antonio-class ship
Support troops and logistics in Puerto Rico
• Replenishment Ships: There are two ships of this class, though their names have not been made public. These ships provide fuel and other supplies for sustained operations and were sighted near Puerto Rico Oct. 17
Specialized auxiliary vessels
Docked in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 30; believed to support intelligence and covert operations.
• USNS Waters (T-AGS-45) – A submarine survey ship
• MV Ocean Trader – A special warfare support ship.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 11:47 AM.
