US War Secretary Pete Hegseth spent Thanksgiving aboard the USS Winston S. Churchill as the US Navy’s major Caribbean deployment intensifies amid rising tensions with Venezuela. Speaking to sailors, Hegseth praised their service and the mission launched after the USS Gerald R Ford strike group was ordered to boost regional presence. While the US frames the deployment as a counter-narcotics operation, critics argue the scale suggests broader strategic goals. Venezuela has responded with expanded coastal defences, calling the buildup a threat to its sovereignty. Here’s what this escalating standoff means for the region.