# @thevigilantheroes on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DRwK_t-loNv
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66793468-thevigilantheroes-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3747c0c43a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-12-02T07:28:01.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Vigilant Heroes (@thevigilantheroes) — https://gondola.cc/thevigilantheroes

## Caption

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the buildup in the Caribbean reached a significant milestone—as of now, 15,000 U.S. personnel, 11 warships & over 70 carrier-based aircraft are deployed to the Caribbean Sea as one of the largest regional deployments in years. The USS Gerald R. Ford and its Carrier Strike Group—bringing squadrons from Virginia, Florida & Washington—are the center of the buildup. With the USS Ford are the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima; destroyers USS Gravely & USS Stockdale; and guided-missile cruisers USS Lake Erie & USS Gettysburg. Add in the roughly 5,000 additional personnel positioned in Puerto Rico (including the recently reopened Roosevelt Roads) and the 2,200 Marines embarked from Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River (a Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of fully self-supporting amphibious ops) and you’ve got a formidable show-of-force.
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The deployment “Operation Southern Spear” aims to cut off the narcotics pipeline flowing north from Venezuela and neighboring jungle drug export points...Secretary of the Navy John Phelan emphasized that fentanyl, opioids and cocaine are killing more Americans annually than many major wars—making the mission to stop the flow of drugs a priority for the administration. “The military’s job is to defend the homeland,” he said. “That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
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At the same time as the military buildup, diplomatic pressure has increased....A weekend phone call between President Trump & Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro ended (rather abruptly if reports are correct) after the dictator demanded “global amnesty”—as well as continued control of Venezuela’s armed forces—in exchange for free elections. Trump rejected both, instead issuing a blunt ultimatum: resign and leave immediately or face consequences. The U.S. President has since closed the airspace around Venezuela and warned that operations inside the country “on land” could begin “very soon.” We’ll keep you updated: thevigilantheroes
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#futurewar #navy #USMC #caribbean #Venezuela

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## Tags

futurewar, navy, caribbean, venezuela, usmc

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