F-35 jets spotted in Puerto Rico amid US-Venezuela tensions
Ten US F-35 fighter jets have arrived in Puerto Rico as part of a military buildup aimed at targeting drug cartels in the Caribbean
PUERTO RICO, United States (MNTV) — Ten US F-35 fighter jets have arrived in Puerto Rico as part of a military buildup aimed at targeting drug cartels in the Caribbean, according to sources cited by Reuters, amid rising friction between Washington and Caracas.
Witnesses reported seeing the stealth aircraft, along with helicopters, Osprey tilt-rotors, transport planes, and additional US troops at a Puerto Rican base over the past several days. The deployments followed an unannounced visit to the island by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior US military leaders, as tensions with Venezuela grow.
When asked about the movements, a Pentagon duty press officer said only, “We have no force posture changes to announce currently.”
President Donald Trump said last week the additional aircraft were intended to strengthen anti-narcotics operations, not to pursue “regime change” in Venezuela. The Pentagon has recently stepped up its presence in the region, dispatching warships and surveillance assets.
The buildup came days after a US strike on a Venezuelan vessel allegedly carrying narcotics left 11 people dead — the first publicly known action since the new deployment. Caracas said the victims were fishermen, not traffickers, and condemned the incident.
On Friday, Venezuela accused a US destroyer of illegally boarding and holding a tuna fishing boat and its nine crew members in the country’s Special Economic Zone, calling the move hostile and unjustified.
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