The U.S. military announced this week that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has reached Caribbean waters off South America's northern coast, part of the Trump administration's escalating pressure campaign on Venezuela and its broader effort to combat drug trafficking. In recent months, the U.S. has killed dozens of people it describes as narco-terrorists off the

coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, prompting an outcry across the region from governments and

human rights groups. As Nick Schiffrin reports, it's all part of the administration's increasingly

aggressive approach to its relations with many countries across Latin America.

The world's largest aircraft carrier has arrived in the Caribbean, with its strike group of more than 4,000 sailors,

dozens of combat aircraft, warships, even submarines,

joining an already large deployment of ships,

far more firepower than could ever be needed to continue the

administration's campaign that's destroyed 19 fishing boats, allegedly carrying drugs and

killing at least 75.

This new war on drugs also designed to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

On Venezuela in particular, are Maduro's days as president numbered.

I would say yeah.

I think so, yeah.

This week, Venezuela's military launched televised nationwide military exercises,

vowing a, quote, armed struggle against the U.S.

We are lovers of peace.

We deeply love peace, but if they come to touch Venezuela, while

they will find us here, a people determined to defend this homeland to the death.

The administration's stated goal is to prevent drugs from transiting through Central America

to the United States. For that, the U.S. and Colombian militaries and intelligence

services have long worked together.

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