Nearly a dozen U.S. warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, have been deployed to the Caribbean as tensions rise between President Trump and Venezuela.

The deployment includes a Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of amphibious land operations as part of Operation Southern Spear, aimed at stopping narcotics flowing from Venezuela to the U.S.

Navy Secretary John Phelan said the mission is critical to defending the homeland, citing the high number of U.S. deaths linked to drugs.

Roughly 15,000 U.S. personnel are now in the region, and Puerto Rico’s Roosevelt Roads naval base has been reopened to support the buildup, the New York Post has reported.

The operation aligns with Trump’s broader push to modernize the military with advanced technologies and revive U.S. shipbuilding and manufacturing.