Sailors aboard Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Patuxent prepare to transport stores onto an MH-60S Sea Hawk, attached to the “Indians” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6, during a dual replenishment-at-sea with USS Nimitz and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley in the Atlantic Ocean, May 15, 2026. (Frankie M. Guage/U.S. Navy)
USS Nimitz wrapped up its circumnavigation of South America last week as part of its move from Naval Base Kitsap, in Bremerton, Wash., to its new homeport at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
“Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group!” U.S. Southern Command posted on X on May 20. “USS Nimitz has proven its combat prowess across the globe, ensuring stability and defending democracy from the Taiwan Strait to the Arabian Gulf.”
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, which includes the embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gridley, has continued operations in the Caribbean as part of the Southern Seas 2026 multinational exercises.
Nimitz’s arrival in the Caribbean was the first time a Navy carrier had operated in the area since February, when USS Gerald R. Ford was deployed to the Middle East following its role in the Jan. 3 raid into Caracas to remove President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.
The arrival of Nimitz in the Caribbean comes as the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group continues to operate in the region. USNI News reported March 25 that USS Iwo Jima was in port at Ponce, Puerto Rico.
The presence of a large concentration of U.S. forces in the Caribbean led to reports that President Donald Trump was seeking to increase pressure on Cuba.
“It hardly seemed coincidental that the Pentagon timed the arrival of the carrier into the southern Caribbean on the same day that the Justice Department announced charges against Raul Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba,” the New York Times reported May 20.
Nimitz has continued operations consistent with its trip around South America, hosting foreign dignitaries and operating joint exercises with countries including Panama, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
Last week, Nimitz hosted separate visits from military and government leaders from Suriname and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, on the northeastern coast of South America, between Venezuela and Brazil.
Nimitz continued flight training operations and also conducted a replenishment of supplies at sea with USNS Patuxent on May 15.
Nimitz was originally scheduled to arrive in Norfolk in mid-May to begin its decommissioning. However, the Navy has extended Nimitz’s active duty until at least March 2027 to coincide with the commissioning of the USS John F. Kennedy, the second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier.
