US Carrier & Nuclear Sub in Caribbean, Eyes Ousting Maduro

The US Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, backed by a nuclear submarine, entered the Caribbean on November 16 to surround Venezuela’s coast. In parallel, the State Department plans to label Venezuela’s ruling “Sun Group” as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by November 24. This dual military and legal pressure targets President Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle, aiming to sever illicit funding and incite military defections. Aviation authorities have warned airlines, prompting major carriers like Iberia and LATAM to suspend flights. Since September, US forces in the region have struck drug-trafficking vessels over a dozen times. External analysts warn that even if Maduro falls, fragmented drug networks could fuel armed factions. The UK has paused intelligence sharing, and Venezuela claims political support from Russia, China, and Iran. Rising tensions threaten oil and LNG shipping through the Caribbean, likely driving up insurance costs and supply-chain delays, with spillover risks to the Gulf of Mexico. Traders and policymakers will monitor whether Washington can balance military action, sanctions, and diplomacy without repeating past ‘‘regime-change then governance’’ pitfalls.