US Deploys F-35 Fighter Jets to Puerto Rico, Heightening Tensions with Venezuela
The deployment of stealth fighter jets marks Washington’s aggressive move in the Caribbean, part of its maximum military pressure to undermine the legitimate government of Venezuelan President
United States, PUREWILAYAH.COM - The United States is deploying 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a broader military build-up in the Caribbean, intensifying tensions with Venezuela.
According to AFP, citing US officials, the move is officially linked to US President Donald Trump’s campaign against drug cartels.
However, it comes at a time when Washington is ramping up political and military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The fighter jets will join US Navy warships already operating in the southern Caribbean. Puerto Rico, a US territory of more than three million people, is serving as a forward base for these deployments.
Washington’s Justification and Trump’s Remarks
US officials have accused President Maduro of leading a major drug trafficking network to fund his government. Trump has tied Venezuelan groups — including the Tren de Aragua criminal organization — to the country’s leadership, framing the deployment as part of an expanded counter-narcotics campaign.
“Venezuela has been very bad, both in terms of drugs and sending some of the worst criminals anywhere in the world into our country,” Trump told reporters this week.
Maduro: ‘Greatest Threat in a Century’
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro described the US naval and air force presence off his country’s coast as “the greatest threat in a century.”
At a press conference, Maduro detailed the deployment of eight US military vessels armed with 1,200 missiles and a nuclear submarine near Venezuelan waters. He condemned the build-up as “extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, absolutely criminal, a bloody threat.”
Accusing Washington of pursuing “maximum military pressure,” Maduro said Venezuela has declared full preparedness for national defense. “Venezuela is a peaceful state, but its people are made of warriors and they will never cede before threats or blackmail,” he stated.
Background of Escalating Pressure
The latest deployment follows the August 2025 arrival of three US guided-missile destroyers — the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson — near Venezuelan territorial waters.
That operation involved more than 4,000 Marines and sailors and drew condemnation from governments across Latin America.
Maduro denounced the move as “immoral, criminal, and illegal,” calling it a direct attempt to impose regime change.
Deadly Incident in the Caribbean
Tensions escalated further when US forces destroyed a vessel in the Caribbean, claiming it was carrying drugs linked to the Tren de Aragua network. Eleven people were killed in the strike, which Caracas labeled an extrajudicial killing.
Venezuela’s Information Minister Freddy Nanez alleged that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio misled President Trump with a fabricated video of the incident, allegedly produced using artificial intelligence.
Recent Confrontation at Sea
The Pentagon reported on Thursday that two Venezuelan aircraft approached a US Navy vessel in international waters in what it described as a “highly provocative” maneuver.
In response, Maduro warned that Venezuela is prepared for “armed struggle in defense of the national territory” if attacked. Venezuela maintains roughly 340,000 active troops and plans to mobilize four million militia members nationwide.
US Defends Military Build-Up
The US Department of Defense — which Trump has announced will be rebranded as the “Department of War” — defended the Caribbean deployments as part of a counter-narcotics mission.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced this position during a regional tour, stating:
“What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them. If you’re on a boat full of cocaine or fentanyl headed to the United States, you’re an immediate threat.”
Caracas has rejected these justifications, accusing Washington of escalating aggression, violating international law, and seeking to destabilize Venezuela’s sovereignty. (PW)