Nimitz carrier group arrives in Caribbean amid Cuba tensions

The Navy’s longest serving aircraft carrier is now operating in the Caribbean. The USS Nimitz, the 51-year-old carrier that recently got its service extended, arrived in the sea on Wednesday, joining an American military presence that has been in place for several months. It also brings more naval power to the region as the United States ramps up pressure on Cuba.

The Nimitz and its strike group, including the USS Gridley and USS Patuxent as well as Carrier Air Wing 17, entered the Caribbean earlier this week after conducting operations with Brazil, U.S. Southern Command confirmed in social media posts.

“USS Nimitz has proven its combat prowess across the globe, ensuring stability and defending democracy from the Taiwan Strait to the Arabian Gulf,” SOUTHCOM said in its post.

Top Stories This Week

19-year-old soldier completes Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault and Pathfinder schools

Fighter pilots say Growler crews’ safe ejections were a ‘miracle’

Security Forces airman becomes first Air Force graduate of Army’s revived jungle school

The Nimitz is currently traveling with its carrier strike on a long journey around Central and South America, on its way to its new home port in Virginia. However its arrival marks the first time a carrier has been in the area since February, when the USS Gerald R. Ford was ordered to the Middle East, where it took part in combat operations against Iran as part of its 11-month deployment.

The Nimitz’s arrival also coincides with the Justice Department’s indictment of several Cuban officials this week, including former Cuban President Raul Castro. The Trump administration has been hawkish towards Cuba, ramping up sanctions and enacted a blockade of oil inbound to the country, worsening its energy crisis. President Donald Trump himself has repeatedly raised the possibility of some kind of military action against the country. The New York Times, citing an American official, reports that the Nimitz is expected to stay in the area for some days as part of a show of force.

The Nimitz’s arrival bolsters a still-strong armada of Navy vessels in the region. Although several aircraft and ships left the region after the January attack on Venezuela, several of the warships and other forces sent to the Caribbean in the second half of 2025 remain. That includes the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. USNI News’ fleet tracker also reports that the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie and the littoral combat ship USS Billings have also been operating in those waters.

The Nimitz was originally sailing one last time, leaving its homeport in Washington state for Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, where it would be decommissioned. Soon after setting sail, it got its life extended to March 2027, with its carrier air wing joining it for the voyage. That journey around Central and South America includes taking part in the Southern Seas exercise and passing several partner nations where the United States has stepped up its military presence and engagement, including Panama and Ecuador. Earlier this month, the Nimitz became the longest serving Navy carrier, surpassing the 55 years and 68 days that the USS Enterprise served.