US Military Deploys 4,500+ Personnel Caribbean Counter-Narcotics Amid Venezuela Tensions

United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to US Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima stationed near Puerto Rico, emphasizing that their deployment in the Caribbean is an active counter-narcotics operation rather than training. This military buildup involves multiple warships, F-35 fighter jets, thousands of Marines, and additional assets including a submarine, aimed at combating drug trafficking allegedly orchestrated by Venezuelan cartels under President Nicolas Maduro, whom the Trump administration has labeled a 'narco-dictator.' Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez of Puerto Rico welcomed the increased US military presence, highlighting the island's strategic importance in regional security efforts. Tensions have escalated following a recent US strike on a Venezuelan boat suspected of drug smuggling, which resulted in the deaths of all onboard and drew criticism from human rights groups and some members of Congress questioning its legality. The Pentagon's posture signals a significant escalation towards regime change in Venezuela, with the Trump administration placing a $50 million bounty on Maduro's head and renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War. Venezuelan forces have responded by conducting military displays and close flybys of US naval vessels, further heightening regional tensions.