Pentagon Officials Visit Puerto Rico Amid Military Buildup Against Caribbean Cartels

The Trump administration is intensifying its military campaign against drug cartels in the Caribbean by deploying 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, a strategic U.S. territory, as part of wider operations targeting narcotics smuggling routes from Venezuela and Colombia. Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, made a surprise visit to Puerto Rico to support ongoing military efforts and training exercises involving thousands of U.S. Marines and Navy personnel. This military buildup follows a U.S. strike in the southern Caribbean that killed 11 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which President Trump labeled a "narco-terrorist" group tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who denies the allegations and warns against further U.S. military actions. The administration has escalated its rhetoric, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring war on these groups rather than pursuing arrests alone, while Vice President JD Vance dismissed concerns over potential war crimes in a recent strike, drawing criticism from Senator Rand Paul. The expanded U.S. military presence, including warships, a nuclear submarine, and fighter jets, signals a significant escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to combat drug trafficking and exert pressure on Maduro's regime in Venezuela.