US Deploys Nimitz Carrier Group Near Cuba as Political Pressure Mounts

(AFP)> On May 8 (local time), the U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transited the Arabian Sea. U.S. Central Command released the photo on May 12./AFP via Yonhap

The United States has stepped up pressure on Cuba, forward-deploying a carrier strike group to the Caribbean.

As the Trump administration rolled out sanctions and legal actions targeting Cuba’s leadership, U.S. forces sent the Nimitz carrier strike group to waters near Cuba to demonstrate military resolve.

U.S. Southern Command said on the 20th (local time) via social media that it deployed a carrier strike group to the Caribbean centered on the aircraft carrier Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing 17, the guided-missile destroyer Gridley and the fleet replenishment oiler Patuxent.

Southern Command said the Nimitz strike group represents the pinnacle of readiness and presence, with unmatched reach, lethality and strategic advantage. The command added that the carrier has proven combat capability around the globe—from the Taiwan Strait to the Arabian Gulf—helping preserve stability and defend democratic institutions.

The New York Times reported that a U.S. official said the Nimitz strike group would remain in the area for at least several days as part of the administration’s pressure campaign against the Cuban government.

An anonymous U.S. official told reporters the administration planned to use the Nimitz and its embarked air wing as a show of force, not as a platform for a large-scale combat operation.

The official said that approach differs from how the Gerald R. Ford carrier was used in January during a special-forces operation tied to an effort against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Earlier, President Trump denied plans to escalate military tensions. He told reporters, “There will be no escalation and there’s no need for it,” adding, “It’s falling apart over there. They’ve lost control.”

Trump also referenced the indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, portraying the action as part of an effort to liberate Cuba.

In recent weeks, the Nimitz has sailed along the coast of South America for scheduled training and recently conducted joint exercises with the Brazilian navy.

When the Pentagon positioned the carrier in the southern Caribbean, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against Raúl Castro.

The Pentagon later shifted much of the forces it had assembled in the Caribbean—originally staged to pressure the Maduro regime—to serve as key units for a potential conflict with Iran. The amphibious assault ship Tripoli, however, remained in the region.