Five US F-35s land in Puerto Rico after Donald Trump orders increased military presence near Venezuela.
US deploys F-35s to Caribbean via Venezuela
Five F-35 fighter jets arrived at the former Roosevelt Roads Air Force Base in Cebu, Puerto Rico, on Saturday as part of a larger deployment of 10 aircraft initiated by President Donald Trump. The deployment aims to counter drug cartels operating in the Caribbean region.
Context of tensions
The F-35s’ arrival coincided with a surprise visit to Puerto Rico by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This came amid worsening relations with Venezuela.
The Pentagon refrained from official statements, noting that no changes in the deployment of forces have been announced at this time. At the same time, sources confirmed to Reuters that the task of the fighters will be operations against drug cartels.
Incidents at sea
Last week, the US military attacked a Venezuelan ship, killing 11 people. Washington said that it was about the transportation of drugs. Caracas denied this, emphasizing that there were no drug traffickers among the dead.
On Saturday, Venezuela also reported another incident: a US destroyer allegedly intercepted and detained a fishing vessel in the country’s exclusive economic zone for eight hours.
Balance of power
The F-35 is one of the most advanced combat aircraft in the world and is far superior to the Venezuelan air force, which is mostly made up of F-16 fighters.
