The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship ever built, steamed out of the Caribbean last week after arriving on November 16. U.S. officials deployed the carrier as part of Operation Southern Spear, a Trump administration effort to combat narcotics trafficking in the region. The operation peaked with the dramatic seizure of Maduro and his wife on January 3.

Early February sightings placed the Ford near St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. BBC tracking last week showed the carrier passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, a shift that coincides with rising U.S.-Iran tensions. President Donald Trump stated that decisions on a potential Iran deal or military action would come in the coming days.

U.S. military aircraft based in Puerto Rico began exiting the area shortly after Maduro’s capture. BBC reports noted more than 50 transport, reconnaissance and refueling jets departing within 24 hours on Friday. The pullback mirrors the buildup that preceded the Venezuelan operation, though U.S. bombings in the Pacific persist.

In Trinidad and Tobago, a U.S. military footprint remains. Defence Minister Wayne Sturge announced last week that a multi-mission air and missile surveillance radar system in Tobago will stay operational. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed the radar’s installation in November 2025, stressing it targeted narcotics traffickers, not Venezuela.

Sturge emphasized the system’s value. “We would have the use of the radar for the foreseeable future,” he said. “I can’t give a definitive timeline.” He described its integration with drone technology and satellite communications as superior to Trinidad and Tobago’s existing limited radar capabilities. The minister declined to reveal the number of U.S. troops on the ground, citing public interest concerns.

The radar supports U.S. personnel assisting local crime-fighting efforts. Sturge linked it directly to ongoing needs amid the regional security shift. As Washington pivots toward the Middle East, Trinidad and Tobago officials view the equipment as essential for surveillance objectives.

Operation Southern Spear mobilized significant assets across the Caribbean. The Ford’s role proved key in the Maduro takedown, according to U.S. military accounts. Now, with the carrier en route to new waters, the region’s U.S. buildup fades, though select operations endure.