US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" and its escorting warships from its group to be deployed to the US Southern Command area of responsibility, a Pentagon spokesman said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
With this move, Washington significantly increases its presence in Latin America, including the number of troops and naval vessels in the region, the agency notes.
“The increased presence of US forces in this area will strengthen the US ability to detect, monitor and disrupt the illegal actions of individuals who threaten the safety and prosperity of our homeland, the United States, and our security in the Western Hemisphere“, the spokesman for the Pentagon Sean Parnell.
He did not specify when exactly the aircraft carrier would be deployed to the area.