SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (BN24) — The United States has deployed F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico amid reports that the Trump administration is considering military strikes on drug cartels operating inside Venezuela. The deployment of 10 advanced jets is part of a broader operation against Latin American cartels that the U.S. has designated as “narco-terrorist” organizations.
The move signals a potential escalation in U.S. efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region. According to reports, the Trump administration is weighing direct attacks on trafficking groups within Venezuela, a decision that would sharply increase tensions with President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Maduro has urged Washington to abandon any plans for “violent regime change” and to respect Venezuela’s sovereignty. He warned that any military action would trigger an “armed struggle” and vowed to mobilize the country’s 340,000 soldiers along with millions of militia members and reservists. President Donald Trump, however, has denied pursuing regime change, questioning the legitimacy of Venezuela’s last presidential election.
The F-35 deployment adds to a significant U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean, which includes at least seven warships, thousands of Marines, and a nuclear-powered submarine positioned near Venezuelan waters. On Thursday, the Pentagon accused Venezuela of a “highly provocative” act after two Venezuelan F-16 jets reportedly flew near the U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham. In response, Trump authorized U.S. forces to shoot down any Venezuelan jets that pose a threat.
This latest military escalation follows a U.S. strike earlier in the week, when American forces destroyed a speedboat in the Caribbean allegedly belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal group operating out of Venezuela. Trump said 11 people were killed in the attack, while Caracas condemned the incident as an “extrajudicial killing.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the aggressive approach, arguing that drug cartels pose a direct threat to national security. “What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them,” Rubio said during a visit to Mexico.
