U.S. defence secretary Pete Hegseth and joint chiefs of staff chairman Dan Caine made a surprise visit to Puerto Rico on Monday, marking the first trip by senior Pentagon officials since Washington increased its military presence in the Caribbean, heightening tensions with Venezuela.
The officials were greeted by Puerto Rico governor Jenniffer Gonzalez, who shared photographs of the meeting on social media platform X.
President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Defence to be renamed the Department of War, pending congressional approval, a move that would also change Hegseth’s title to “Secretary of War.”
The Pentagon released a video showing Hegseth arriving on the USS Iwo Jima, anchored off Puerto Rico’s coast. Gonzalez praised the visit, saying it recognises Puerto Rico’s strategic importance for U.S. national security and the fight against drug cartels allegedly supported by Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
The Trump administration has deployed 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations targeting drug trafficking. The deployment adds to an already significant U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean.
Last week, a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean killed 11 people and sank a Venezuelan boat, which Trump claimed was carrying illegal narcotics. Congressional members have demanded clarification on the legal basis for the strike, questioning how the administration identified the targets and their cargo.
Venezuelan officials criticised U.S. actions. Vice president Delcy Rodriguez questioned the existence of drug cartels in the country, pointing to data showing Venezuela does not produce cocaine and that most trafficking occurs via Pacific routes.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime reports that 74% of cocaine exported from South America is trafficked across the Pacific, highlighting the regional scale of narcotics routes.
Hegseth and Caine visited Puerto Rico while U.S. marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct amphibious training and flight operations in the southern part of the island, underlining the growing U.S. military focus in the Caribbean.
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