The United States has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels operating in the Caribbean.
This move is part of a broader crackdown on narco-terrorist organizations in the region, as President Donald Trump vowed to intensify efforts to curb drug trafficking into the US.
The deployment of advanced fighter jets will add to an already robust US military presence in the southern Caribbean, where seven warships, one nuclear-powered submarine, and over 4,500 sailors and Marines are either operating or en route to the region.
According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the US is taking a firm stance against narco-trafficking, with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro being accused of overseeing a “narco state”.
The recent buildup follows a deadly confrontation earlier this week, when US forces struck a boat Trump claimed was smuggling “massive amounts of drugs” from Venezuela, killing 11 people.
While officials have not publicly clarified the legal grounds for the strike, Trump alleged without presenting evidence that the crew of the boat targeted were members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang designated as a terrorist group in February.
The deployment of F-35s to Puerto Rico is expected to escalate tensions in the region, with Maduro denouncing the US military escalation as an attempt at “regime change through military threat”.
He rejected Washington’s claims linking Venezuela to drug smuggling, accusing Trump of using the fight against cartels as a pretext to destabilize his government.
Analysts warn that the buildup of US military presence in the Caribbean risks inflaming already fraught US-Venezuela relations.
James Stavridis, a former US Navy admiral, characterized the strike and other US military activity as “gunboat diplomacy intended to demonstrate the vulnerability of Venezuelan oil rigs and materiel”.
The situation remains volatile, with potential for further confrontation in a region historically sensitive to American military intervention.
The deployment of 20 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico is part of a broader crackdown on narco-terrorist organizations in the region, as President Donald Trump vowed to intensify efforts to curb drug trafficking into the US.
However, according to reports, only 10 F-35 fighter jets are being deployed to support operations targeting drug cartels.
The advanced fighter jets will be added to an already bristling US military presence in the southern Caribbean, where seven warships, one nuclear-powered submarine, and over 4,500 sailors and Marines are either operating or en route to the region.
This buildup has put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called “effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state”.
Maduro has accused the US of attempting a regime change through military threats, denouncing the US military escalation as an attempt to destabilize his government. He rejected Washington’s claims linking Venezuela to drug smuggling.
US officials have not disclosed the legal grounds for a recent airstrike on a boat or detailed the type of drugs involved.
Trump asserted that the crew were members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the US designated as a terrorist organization in February, though no evidence has been provided.
The strike resulted in the deaths of 11 people and signals a potential broader military campaign in Latin America.
The deployment of F-35s to Puerto Rico is expected to escalate tensions in the region, with potential consequences for US-Venezuela relations and regional stability. The buildup of US military presence in the Caribbean risks inflaming already fraught relations between the two countries.