 The US NAVY has deployed to the southern Caribbean 3 Aegis-class destroyers, the USS Lake Erie guided-missile cruiser, the USS Newport News submarine, and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with two Wasp-class amphibious assault vessels and a Marine Expeditionary Unit, roughly a 4,500-strong force. P-8 surveillance planes are also operating in support. |
San Juan, Sep.2.– The United States is reinforcing its military presence in the Caribbean amid rising tensions with Venezuela, as a Marine Corps unit conducts a "realistic" training exercise in the region.
The North Carolina-based 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, capable of rapid response to protect America's national security interests, said the training event in southern Puerto Rico aims to enhance regional security, disaster response capabilities, and capacity building.
Newsweek has contacted Venezuela's Embassy in Beijing, China, for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The Pentagon has recently deployed several naval vessels —including destroyers, a nuclear-powered submarine, and amphibious ships capable of projecting forces from sea to shore— in the Caribbean as the Trump administration steps up its counter-narcotics operations.
In response to the U.S. military presence, Venezuela has mobilized forces along its coastline. President Nicolás Maduro, for whom the U.S. has offered a $50 million reward for arrest, said the country is at maximum readiness to ...
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