Activities are part of the operation and will also be carried out together with 9 other countries in South America
The US Navy’s 4th Fleet will send the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz for naval exercises with Brazil and 9 other Latin American countries. They are part of Operation Southern Seas 2026. According to the announcement made this Friday (27 March 2026), the guided missile destroyer USS Gridley will also integrate the activities of the Southern Command of the North American Naval Force on the continent.
In addition to Brazil, the activities will be carried out together with Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Uruguay. The scheduled port calls will be in Brazil, Chile, Panama and Jamaica.
Guest authorities from partner countries will observe operations from an aircraft carrier. This is the 11th edition of the operation in the region since 2007. According to Washington, the initiative seeks to improve operations with the forces of partner countries in the maritime domain.
According to Rear Admiral Carlos Sardiello, of the US Navy, the operation is a means to “building trust and working together to face common threats”.
The United States already held military exercises in the Caribbean last year.
In October, the Navy activities on the island of Trinidad and Tobago – which is 11 km off the coast of Venezuela. About 3 months later, President Nicolás Maduro (PSUV, left) was captured by the country’s forces and taken to New York, where he is being held.
In December, joint exercises were carried out with Panama. According to the North American command, the objective would be to combat drug trafficking in the region – the same justification used to maintain against boats sailing close to the maritime space of Venezuela and Colombia.
