Images of a U.S. Navy flight deck crew member aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford have gone viral after observers noticed a Venezuelan flag patch on her uniform, coinciding with the carrier's arrival in the Caribbean as part of an expanded U.S. military deployment.
The footage first circulated after the Gerald R. Ford steamed into regional waters this week, drawing attention both for the scale of the vessel—more than 4,000 personnel and dozens of tactical aircraft—and for one detail captured on video: a "yellow shirt" directing aircraft on deck with a Venezuelan flag on her right sleeve.
The sailor was soon identified by online commentators as Alix Marcano, a U.S. Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 1st Class who has appeared in multiple official Navy photographs between 2022 and 2025, as NTN24 reports. The Navy has not confirmed her heritage, though images released by the Department of Defense show Marcano wearing the same Venezuelan flag patch during a 2022 multinational exercise, Silent Wolverine, while directing an F/A-18F Super Hornet.
Other publicly released images shared by Venezuelan news site El Pitazo show her guiding an MH-60S Seahawk during ammunition loading in 2024, performing safety-department maintenance in 2025, and operating a "Tilly" crash crane in 2023. In each case, her role is consistent with her flight deck duties, which can include signaling aircraft, managing movement on deck, and supporting emergency operations.
The renewed attention comes as the Gerald R. Ford strike group operates in the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command, supporting missions the U.S. describes as targeting transnational criminal organizations and narcoterrorism networks. The deployment includes air, surface, and amphibious assets working jointly across the region.
The Navy says the carrier's presence is intended to disrupt trafficking operations and strengthen regional security alongside allied forces.
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