USS aircraft carrier and strike group arrive in Caribbean amid tensions with Cuba

The United States' aircraft carrier Nimitz and its strike group arrived in the Caribbean this week as tensions with Cuba continue amid negotiations and the wake of the U.S.'s indictment of Raul Castro.

The arrival comes even as President Donald Trump downplayed the threat of an escalation in negotiations with Cuba on Wednesday. Trump has previously hinted at what he called a "friendly takeover" of Cuba as the island's government faces an economic and energy crisis and mounting domestic opposition.

The United States Southern Command said the aircraft carrier was accompanied by Carrier Air Wing 17, USS Gridley and USNS Patuxent, which it claimed "are the epitome of readiness and presence, unmatched reach and lethality, and strategic advantage."

"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 a post on X.

Nimitz, which was commissioned in 1975, arrived from Brazil where it conducted joint naval exercises with the Brazilian Navy off the coast of Rio de Janeiro last week, according to The Hill.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.