1. The Trump administration has sent the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to waters near Latin America as part of anti-drug operations, increasing pressure on Venezuela's President Maduro.
2. The deployment comes in response to alleged large-scale drug smuggling from Venezuela, Colombia, and other South American countries into the US.
3. This move marks a significant increase in the US military presence in the region, as US amphibious assault ships and Marines are already deployed there. The unusual decision to dispatch the carrier from Europe for a counter-narcotics mission in Latin America is gaining attention in US media.