Dead Drop: Week of November 2

"On Friday October 24, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced on social media that the "Secretary of War" Pete Hegseth had ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to leave the Mediterranean and head for the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility to support "the President's directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism." Armchair admirals started to calculate how quickly FORD and friends would show up off the coast of Venezuela."

"The carrier strike group was reported to be off the coast of Croatia when the announcement was made but five days later, there were (unconfirmed) reports that it was still in the Med. A week after the Hegseth announcement, the that their sources said an attack on military installations could come "at any moment." Administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the reporting "a fake story.""

"Administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the reporting "a fake story." Some folks think the deployment announcement was mostly saber-rattling while others believe the eventual arrival will signal a big next step in regime change. In any case - the Ford is one of the most capable warships ever built despite having electro-magnetic plane launching catapults that for some reason the President hates nearly as much as he hates windmills."

On October 24, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to leave the Mediterranean and move to U.S. Southern Command to support a presidential directive targeting Transnational Criminal Organizations and narco-terrorism. The carrier was reported off Croatia at the time, but unconfirmed reports days later suggested it remained in the Mediterranean. A week after the order, unnamed sources warned an attack on military installations could occur "at any moment," while administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the reporting "a fake story." Some view the announcement as saber-rattling; others see it as a possible step toward regime change. The Ford remains a highly capable warship despite controversial electromagnetic catapults. The Dead Drop will update throughout the week due to continued national security gossip.

Read at The Cipher Brief