Trump sends stealth jets to Puerto Rico amid Venezuela tensions
United States is deploying 10 F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of its expanding military build-up
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) — The United States is deploying 10 F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of its expanding military build-up in the Caribbean, escalating tensions with Venezuela.
The move comes after the Pentagon accused Venezuela of sending fighter jets dangerously close to a US Navy warship in international waters. Officials said two Venezuelan F-16s flew over the USS Jason Dunham on Thursday, calling it a “highly provocative” maneuver.
The F-35s will join at least seven US warships already operating in the region, including three amphibious assault ships, two destroyers, a cruiser, and a littoral combat ship. The deployments form part of what Washington describes as a counter-narcotics campaign.
President Donald Trump has accused Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro of heading a drug cartel and linked him to the Tren de Aragua gang. On Tuesday, US forces destroyed what Trump said was a cartel drug boat in the Caribbean, killing 11 people on board. Caracas condemned the strike as an extrajudicial killing.
Maduro has denounced the US presence as “the greatest threat our continent has seen in the last 100 years” and vowed armed resistance if Venezuela is attacked. He has mobilized 340,000 troops and claims more than eight million reservists stand ready.
“If Venezuela were attacked, it would immediately enter a period of armed struggle,” Maduro told foreign correspondents.
The Pentagon, which Trump said he will rebrand as the “Department of War,” accused Venezuela of trying to interfere with what it calls “counter narco-terror operations.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the hardline approach, saying traffickers should be “blown up” before reaching US shores.
However, critics at home questioned the legality of Trump’s actions. Representative Ilhan Omar said the administration’s strike in the Caribbean amounted to a “lawless” act bypassing Congress.
US officials have yet to provide evidence that the destroyed vessel belonged to Tren de Aragua or carried drugs.
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