Washington is deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to counter drug-trafficking organizations in Latin America, the Pentagon said Friday, a major increase to a military buildup in the region that is fueling fears of war.

US President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise of ending foreign military interventions, launched a military campaign targeting boats allegedly used to smuggle narcotics in early September, destroying at least 10 vessels in a series of strikes.

But the American military buildup as part of that campaign -- including 10 F-35 stealth warplanes and eight US Navy ships -- has sparked fears in Venezuela that Washington's ultimate goal is the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro, and the decision to send the carrier is certain to add to those concerns.

The US-Venezuela standoff has also pulled in Colombia's Gustavo Petro, a sharp critic of the American strikes who was sanctioned by Washington on Friday for allegedly allowing drug trafficking to flourish.

The deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford and accompanying ships "will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement, referring to transnational criminal organizations.

- 'Hunt you down' -

The carrier announcement came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said an overnight strike on a boat alleged to be operated by Venezuelan drug trafficking gang Tren de Aragua killed six people in the Caribbean Sea.

Hegseth announced the strike in a post on X showing a stationary boat with outboard engines being destroyed in an explosion, saying: "Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters -- and was the first strike at night."

"If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down, and kill you," Hegseth added.

The latest military action brings the death toll from the US strikes to at least 43, according to an AFP tally based on US figures, but Washington has yet to release evidence that its targets were smuggling narcotics.

Regional tensions have flared as a result of the campaign, with Venezuela accusing the United States of plotting to overthrow Maduro, who said earlier this week that his country has 5,000 Russian man-portable surface-to-air missiles to counter US forces.

- 'Inflame South America' -

On Thursday, at least one US B-1B bomber flew over the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, flight tracking data showed, following a show of force by multiple US B-52 bombers that circled off the country's coast last week.

Colombia's Petro -- who has accused Trump of murder over the strikes on the alleged drug boats -- was sanctioned by the US Treasury on Friday along with his wife and son.

"President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. "President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate the trafficking of drugs into our nation."

Petro was defiant, posting on social media: "Not one step back and never on my knees."

Regional powerhouse Brazil has also weighed in on US actions, with a senior foreign policy advisor telling AFP Thursday that the country views a military intervention in Venezuela as unacceptable and fears it could be damaging for the whole of South America.

"We cannot accept an outside intervention because it will trigger immense resentment," said Celso Amorim, aide to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "It could inflame South America and lead to radicalization of politics on the whole continent."

Trump meanwhile said Thursday that he did not need a declaration of war from US lawmakers to attack Venezuela or other countries he accuses of involvement in the drug trade, warning that strikes on land are coming.

"The land is going to be next," Trump said, likening drug cartels to the brutal Islamic State jihadist group.