Five U.S. F-35 fighter jets landed in Puerto Rico following President Trump's order to bolster Caribbean military presence amid rising tensions with Venezuela.
Five U.S. Air Force F-35 stealth fighters touched down at the former Roosevelt Roads base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, according to Reuters photographer Ricky Arduengo. Their arrival follows a recent directive by President Donald Trump to deploy 10 F-35s to the Caribbean, part of a broader effort to target drug cartels operating in the region.
The deployment comes against the backdrop of intensifying tensions with Venezuela. Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the country’s top general made an unannounced visit to Puerto Rico. Military activity at the base has reportedly increased, with sightings of helicopters, Osprey aircraft, and transport planes.
While the Pentagon has not officially confirmed any changes to force posture, sources told Reuters that the F-35s are intended for counter-narcotics operations. This follows last week’s U.S. strike on a Venezuelan vessel, which Washington claimed was carrying illegal drugs. The operation killed 11 people, though Caracas disputes the U.S. version, insisting the victims were not traffickers.
On Friday, a new flashpoint emerged when Venezuela accused the U.S. Navy of illegally boarding a Venezuelan tuna fishing boat in its Special Economic Zone. Venezuelan officials said the ship, manned by nine fishermen, posed no threat and called the U.S. action hostile and illegal. U.S. officials have not commented on the allegation.
The F-35 deployment adds a potent new dimension to U.S. presence in the region. The jets, considered among the most advanced combat aircraft in the world, could easily outmatch Venezuela’s ageing air force, which includes F-16 fighters.
President Trump has denied that the U.S. seeks regime change in Venezuela, but the latest military movements suggest a firm posture as Washington ramps up pressure on the Maduro government.
Armenia heads to the polls on 7 June in a key parliamentary vote seen as a test of its democratic reforms and political direction since 2018. Prime Mi...
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with around 600 mothers dying for every 1...
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al‑Zaidi will pay an official visit to the United States, bringing with him a delegation of business leaders, priva...
The U.S. plans to seek the redirection of Iranian assets to Gulf states to help fund reconstruction and repairs for damage attributed to Iran, a sourc...
A U.S. doctor who contracted Ebola while on a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has recovered and been discharged from a hospit...
Russia wants Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to lose the upcoming election due to his increasing engagement with Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday that they had targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and a U.S. air base in the Persian Gulf with missiles and drones, in retaliation for Tuesday’s air raid on a telecommunications tower on an island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Georgian and American law enforcement agencies have dismantled two criminal groups that charged hundreds of Georgians to build fabricated asylum cases for entry into the United States. The arrests came on the same day Washington signalled it was ready to reset relations with Tbilisi.
More than 1,500 pages of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment and tenure as UK ambassador to the U.S. have been published, revealing private exchanges with ministers, criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and details of the vetting process that preceded his appointment.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed, and three others were injured after two cargo vessels were hit in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, as Russia blamed Ukraine for the strike.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
The new AnewZ documentary, TARGET: Yerevan, builds its explosive case on exclusive, secret recordings originally published by Minval Politika.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al‑Zaidi will pay an official visit to the United States, bringing with him a delegation of business leaders, private‑sector representatives and banking officials, in an effort to boost investment and deepen economic ties with Washington.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels operating in Ukrainian waters on Saturday, leaving several people injured.
The United States has approved the possible sale of five Seahawk maritime helicopters to New Zealand in a deal valued at $1.5 billion, as Wellington moves to strengthen its armed forces.
The United States has announced an additional $38 million to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as health officials warn that the virus could spread further without stronger action.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment