Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the USS Iwo Jima, the flagship of its amphibious ready group, on 8/9. The ship is conducting counter-narcotics operations in waters approximately 50 km south of Puerto Rico.
Photos show Hegseth disembarking an MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft onto the Iwo Jima's flight deck, greeting those on board. "What you're doing right now is not training. This is real-world action in the service of a vital national interest, stopping the poisoning of the American people," he said.
Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine earlier visited Muniz Air National Guard Base, the largest air base in Puerto Rico, where they met with Governor Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon.
"It is an honor to welcome Secretary Hegseth and General Caine. We thank President Donald Trump and his administration for recognizing Puerto Rico's strategic value to US national security, as well as the fight against drug cartels in the region," Gonzalez-Colon said.
Puerto Rico, a US territory, is located approximately 1,600 km from Florida and over 800 km from Venezuela.
The visit coincided with a maritime amphibious exercise involving 4,500 US troops in the region.
"The Pentagon said this is a planned training exercise, but the increased military presence in Puerto Rico is also related to the Trump administration's show of force in waters near Venezuela," reported San Juan-based newspaper El Nuevo Dia.
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Secretary Hegseth speaking at Muniz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico, on 8/9. Photo: X/Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon |
The Pentagon declined to comment on the visit. It came a day after Trump said "you'll see" when asked about the possibility of the US attacking drug cartels within Venezuela.
The US military has deployed assets to the southern Caribbean Sea as part of an operation targeting criminal organizations and drug cartels. Experts suggest this is also a move to pressure the Venezuelan government under President Nicolas Maduro.
A US defense official stated eight warships are currently participating in counter-narcotics operations in Latin America: three amphibious assault ships, two destroyers, a cruiser, and a littoral combat ship in the Caribbean, along with a destroyer in the eastern Pacific.
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Location of Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Graphic: Britanica |
Last week, the US military sank a boat suspected of carrying drugs and allegedly belonging to Tren de Aragua (TDA), a gang designated as a terrorist organization by Washington. Trump said 11 people on board were killed.
On 1/9, President Maduro described the US military buildup in the Caribbean as the "greatest threat" to Venezuela in the past 100 years. He declared Venezuela ready for "armed struggle to defend national territory" and ordered the mobilization of regular troops and reservists.
Nguyen Tien (According to WarZone, AFP, AP)
