In a significant escalation of its counter-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean, the United States has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico. The move is part of a broader, sustained military campaign aimed at disrupting drug cartels operating in the region, according to reports from multiple international news agencies.
The advanced stealth jets are expected to arrive at a Puerto Rican airfield by late next week to conduct operations against what the U.S. administration has designated as “narco-terrorist organizations” in the southern Caribbean. The deployment follows a recent missile strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea that the U.S. insisted was carrying Venezuelan drug traffickers, an attack that killed 11 people.
This new military presence further bolsters an already robust U.S. footprint in the area, which includes warships, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, and more than 4,500 sailors and Marines engaged in exercises in southern Puerto Rico. U.S. officials have stated that traditional interdiction methods are no longer sufficient to stop the flow of illegal narcotics and that a more aggressive approach is necessary.
The action has been met with increased tensions in the region, particularly with Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the U.S. of “seeking a regime change through military threat,” while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has referred to Mr. Maduro as a “narcotrafficker.” Analysts have expressed concerns that the increased military aggression could lead to unintended consequences and a prolonged conflict in the region.