US sends aircraft carrier to Latin America as tensions intensify

The Pentagon on Friday ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Fordaircraft carrierand its strike group to the waters off South America in a dramatic increase in regional combat power that the White House says is aimed at disrupting drug trafficking throughout the Western Hemisphere.

TheUS militaryis sending an aircraft carrier to the waters offSouth America, thePentagonannounced Friday, in the latest escalat