Image: Ian Ellis X @ianellisjones
By Liam Scott | Staff Writer with Agencies
Caracas/Washington — The Pentagon has confirmed that the MV Ocean Trader, a covert Special Forces support vessel nicknamed the “ghost ship,” is now operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. The U.S. Military Sealift Command told Task & Purpose on September 25, 2025, that the ship is deployed in the region, although U.S. Special Operations Command has declined to comment on its mission.
Open-source satellite imagery posted on September 20 by defense analyst MT Anderson showed a vessel matching the Ocean Trader’s distinctive forward and aft superstructure southwest of St. Kitts, and a separate photograph taken from St. Croix confirmed its presence. The sightings come only months after the ship was last seen at NSA Bahrain in May 2025.
The Ocean Trader began life as the commercial Ro-Ro cargo ship MV Cragside, launched in 2010 for Maersk Line and converted under a $73 million U.S. Navy contract in 2013 into a Special Warfare Support vessel. At 193 meters long with a displacement of nearly 21,000 tons, it carries a core crew of 50 with berthing for up to 159 special operations personnel. Facilities include helicopter hangars, aviation fuel storage, boat-launch bays, a dive locker for 60 Naval Special Warfare members, secure communications suites, and a medical and surgical ward. Outwardly painted in plain white and with minimal markings, the ship is designed to resemble a merchant vessel and often operates without broadcasting its AIS signal.
Its deployment coincides with the largest concentration of U.S. naval power in the Caribbean since the 1960s. The destroyers USS Stockdale, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Gravely, cruiser USS Lake Erie, Littoral Combat Ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale are currently operating in the area, alongside the Los Angeles–class submarine USS Newport News. The build-up includes the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine F-35 fighters based in Puerto Rico, and P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The increased U.S. presence follows a string of high-profile counternarcotics strikes. Earlier in September, U.S. forces destroyed three suspected cartel-linked drug boats, killing 17 people and seizing over a ton of cocaine in cooperation with the Dominican Republic—the first such joint lethal action acknowledged in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama. At the same time, Washington doubled the bounty on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to $50 million, linking narcotics operations with political pressure on Caracas.
Venezuelan F-16 fighters have reportedly conducted close flybys of U.S. ships, which Washington has described as “provocative.” The Maduro government has accused the USS Jason Dunham of boarding a fishing boat in its exclusive economic zone—an allegation U.S. officials deny, saying the search occurred in international waters. Meanwhile, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command has conducted airfield seizure drills across the Caribbean.
Analysts say the Ocean Trader’s low-profile design allows it to launch small boats, helicopters, and drones while functioning as a floating barracks and command center for Special Forces. By pairing such covert platforms with overt warships, the U.S. Navy has created a flexible posture in the Caribbean capable of high-profile deterrence and discreet operations alike—an unmistakable message to criminal networks and the Maduro government.