USS Ford, which was commissioned in 2017, is the United States' newest aircraft carrier and the world's largest, with more than 5,000 sailors aboard. (Photo: Reuters)

US President Donald Trump on Friday escalated the military buildup in the Caribbean by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America. The deployment comes at a time when the US is stepping up its crackdown on drug trafficking through the Caribbean.

According to The Associated Press , USS Ford is currently deployed to the Mediterranean Sea along with three destroyers. It would likely take several days for the ships to make the journey to South America.

USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier

Named after the 38th president of the United States, USS Ford is the lead ship of its class and the newest and large

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