The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Nimitz, along with its escort warships, entered the southern Caribbean Sea on Wednesday. This move is part of a campaign by the Trump administration to exert pressure on the Cuban government. Both the military’s Southern Command and a U.S. official provided this information.
Currently, the administration plans to utilize the Nimitz and its fighter jets as a show of force. Unlike the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, which was used in a commando raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, the Nimitz is not intended for major military operations according to a U.S. official, who chose to remain anonymous.
The Nimitz has been operating along the South American coast for several weeks as part of a pre-planned training deployment. It has recently conducted joint exercises with the Brazilian navy. The timing of the Nimitz’s arrival in the Caribbean coincides with the Justice Department’s announcement of charges against Raul Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba.
The Southern Command expressed its support on social media, stating, “Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group! U.S.S. Nimitz has proven its combat prowess across the globe, ensuring stability and defending democracy from the Taiwan Strait to the Arabian Gulf.”
Although much of the military force assembled in the Caribbean for the Maduro raid has been redirected to reinforce American forces in the Iranian conflict, the amphibious assault ship Tripoli remains in the region, according to the Navy.
Eric Schmitt, a national security correspondent for The Times, has covered U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism for over thirty years.