US Deploys 4,000 Marines, Nuclear Submarine to Caribbean Against Drug Cartels

The United States is deploying more than 4,000 sailors and Marines, including the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, destroyers, a guided-missile cruiser, P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, and a nuclear-powered attack submarine to the southern Caribbean and Latin American waters. This military buildup is part of President Donald Trump's intensified efforts to combat Latin American drug cartels, which his administration has designated as narco-terrorist organizations, and to secure the U.S. southern border. While the deployment is officially described as a regular scheduled operation and primarily a show of force and deterrence, it provides the President and military commanders with a wide range of options, including the capability to conduct targeted military strikes if ordered. The operation is coordinated under U.S. Southern Command and marks one of the largest recent U.S. military movements in the region, though some defense officials have expressed concern about Marines’ training for counter-narcotics roles. The deployment has drawn regional criticism, such as from Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, who opposed any foreign military intervention, emphasizing respect for self-determination. Overall, the U.S. military presence aims to address threats from drug cartels and related national security concerns amid broader geopolitical tensions in the region.