The U.S. has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield for operations against designated narco-terrorist groups operating in the southern Caribbean, sources said. The planes are expected to arrive by late next week.
This development adds to an already significant U.S. military presence in the region, as President Donald Trump pursues a campaign promise to intensify efforts against drug cartels accused of trafficking narcotics into the United States.
The disclosure came just hours after the Pentagon accused Venezuela of a "highly provocative" action, citing a flyover by Venezuelan fighter jets above a U.S. Navy warship on Thursday. A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, said two Venezuelan F-16s flew over the USS Jason Dunham, which is one of at least seven American warships in the Caribbean, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines.
Earlier in the week, a U.S. military strike on Tuesday reportedly killed 11 people and sank a Venezuelan boat that Trump claimed was transporting illegal drugs. No further details have been provided about the substances on board or the legal framework under which the strike was authorised.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also said the US will "blow up" foreign crime groups if needed, possibly in collaboration with other countries.
"Now they're gonna help us find these people and blow them up, if that's what it takes," Rubio said during a visit to Ecuador.
He then announced the US will designate two of Ecuador's largest criminal gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, as foreign terrorist organisations.
At a news conference on Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the United States is "seeking a regime change through military threat." Venezuela’s Communications Ministry has not commented on the F-35 deployment or the fighter jet incident.
Trump has accused Maduro of leading the Tren de Aragua gang, which the U.S. designated a terrorist organisation in February. Maduro's government denies all allegations of involvement in drug trafficking.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Maduro “effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state.” Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Hegseth defended Tuesday’s strike and said such actions would continue, citing the threat posed by narcotics.
"The poisoning of the American people is over," Hegseth said.
U.S. Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have also been conducting amphibious training and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico as part of the military build-up.
F-35s are stealth multirole fighters with advanced capabilities that could potentially give the U.S. air dominance in any confrontation involving Venezuela’s air force, which also operates F-16 aircraft.
Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar criticised the deployment, calling Trump’s actions “lawless” and questioned the constitutional authority for military strikes in the region.
"Congress has not declared war on Venezuela, or Tren de Aragua, and the mere designation of a group as a terrorist organization does not give any President carte blanche to ignore Congress’s clear Constitutional authority on matters of war and peace," Omar said in a statement.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most s...
Azerbaijan’s strategic rise is turning it from a transit state into a regional rule-setter, with the Middle Corridor giving Baku growing infl...
The U.S. imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) President Tomoko Akane and a senior tri...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Ukraine has targeted at least 20 Wildberries warehouses across Russia since 18 July, disrupting a major logistics network. Kyiv says the strikes aim to disrupt alleged military-linked supplies, while the attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses and wider economic pressure.
Russia said its air defences downed 180 drones over the Moscow region overnight, with 620 drones reportedly targeting the area, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) President Tomoko Akane and a senior trial lawyer at the court Abdoulaye Seye on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Ukraine's parliament has approved Yevhenii Khmara as the country's new defence minister, cementing a key leadership change as Kyiv navigates wartime priorities and a broader government reorganisation.
Thai schools conducted active shooter drills on Wednesday (19 August), as authorities moved to strengthen security measures two weeks after a 14-year-old opened fire at a school and killed at least eight people.
Apple has announced a major overhaul of its business terms for apps distributed in the European Union, introducing a five per cent commission on digital transactions outside its App Store and simplifying its fee structure as it seeks to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
A record number of humanitarian workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025, with the growing use of armed drones contributing to mounting risks in conflict zones, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment