The U.S. military announced on May 20 (local time) that the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group has entered the Caribbean Sea, escalating military pressure on Havana.

According to U.S. Southern Command’s social media announcement, the deployment comprises the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), Carrier Air Wing 17, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101), and the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201).

In its statement, Southern Command underscored the deployment’s significance, calling the strike group "the epitome of readiness and presence, unmatched reach and lethality, and strategic advantage." The command further highlighted the carrier's operational history, noting that the USS Nimitz "has proven its combat prowess across the globe, ensuring stability and defending democracy from the Taiwan Strait to the Arabian Gulf."

The New York Times reported that U.S. military officials expect the strike group to remain in the area for at least several days as part of the Trump administration's broader campaign to pressure the Cuban government.

An anonymous U.S. official stated that Washington intends to utilize the carrier and its embarked air wing primarily for a show of force rather than as a platform for a large-scale military operation. This signals a different tactical approach from January, when the USS Gerald R. Ford was positioned to support the special operations mission that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Prior to entering the Caribbean, the USS Nimitz spent several weeks sailing along the South American coastline for scheduled training, which included joint naval exercises with the Brazilian Navy.

The deployment coincided directly with the U.S. Department of Justice’s formal indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue.

While the Pentagon previously reassigned a significant portion of the forces gathered in the Caribbean against the Maduro regime to support operations in Iran, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli remains stationed in the region.