U.S. Navy deploys massive carrier strike group near Venezuela amid escalating drug war tensions The U.S. Navy has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, the largest military presence in the region since the 1989 Panama invasion, under the pretext of counter-narcotics operations. However, analysts suggest this also signals regime change pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration labels Maduro a “fugitive cartel leader” with a $50 million bounty, alleging he facilitates drug trafficking and gang migration. However, declassified U.S. intelligence memos contradict these claims, and regional leaders like Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum demand evidence. Maduro has mobilized Russian-made missile systems and 4.5 million militiamen, warning of guerrilla…