US Deploys F-35 Stealth Jets to Puerto Rico Amid Venezuela Tensions
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States has deployed a contingent of advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to a former naval base in Puerto Rico, a move officially aimed at bolstering counter-narcotics operations but widely seen as a significant show of force amid heightened tensions with Venezuela.
According to a report from the Reuters news agency, five F-35 Lightning II aircraft landed on Saturday at the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The deployment is part of a broader Caribbean operation ordered by President Donald Trump in April to crack down on illicit drug trafficking routes.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has stated that the increased military presence—which includes Navy destroyers, littoral combat ships, and surveillance aircraft—is intended to disrupt the flow of narcotics from South America.
"This deployment enhances our capabilities to detect and interdict illicit drug trafficking in the region and demonstrates our firm commitment to our partners," a SOUTHCOM spokesperson said in a statement.
However, the arrival of the fifth-generation fighters, among the most sophisticated and expensive aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, has drawn scrutiny from military analysts and regional observers. The F-35 is primarily an advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground combat jet, and its deployment for a mission typically handled by surveillance and patrol aircraft is considered unusual.
The move comes at a time of escalating animosity between Washington and the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration does not recognize Maduro's presidency, and has instead backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó while imposing crippling economic sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry.
Tensions flared recently after a failed maritime incursion into Venezuela by a small group, which included two American citizens. The Maduro government has accused the U.S. of backing the plot, a charge Washington has denied.
Military analysts suggest the deployment of the F-35s to Puerto Rico, strategically located about 650 miles from the Venezuelan coast, serves a dual purpose.
"Officially, it's about drugs, and it certainly contributes to that mission," said David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America. "But you don't need stealth fighters to spot drug boats. This is about sending a clear and unmistakable message to the Maduro regime. It’s a powerful piece on the chessboard, meant to signal military readiness and project American power into Caracas's backyard."
The former Roosevelt Roads base, once the largest U.S. naval installation in the Caribbean, was largely closed in 2004 but its airstrip remains operational and has been used for various military and disaster relief operations. Its strategic location provides a key staging point for operations throughout the Caribbean basin.
Venezuelan officials, who frequently accuse the U.S. of planning a military intervention, have yet to officially comment on the deployment but are expected to condemn it as an act of aggression. The deployment ensures that the political and military climate in the already volatile Caribbean region remains on high alert.