U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones have been seen at Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, as the United States steps up surveillance operations in the Caribbean as tensions with Venezuela increase.
Footage filmed on December 26 shows several MQ-9 Reaper drones parked on the tarmac and taxiing at the airport, with U.S. personnel moving around the aircraft.
The deployment comes as Washington builds up a significant military presence in the region, including an aircraft carrier, fighter jets and other warships.
Osprey aircraft and additional MC-130J Commando II planes have also arrived in Aguadilla in recent days, according to U.S. officials.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump ordered what he described as a ‘blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, part of a broader effort to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The White House has accused Venezuela of allowing large quantities of drugs to reach the United States.
In recent months, the administration has authorised air strikes against boats originating in South America that it says were carrying narcotics.
Those attacks have been condemned by several countries, which have described them as extrajudicial killings.
Donald Trump has also repeatedly threatened to target drug infrastructure on land and has authorised covert CIA activity directed at Caracas, according to U.S. officials.
So far this month, the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted two oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea, both reportedly fully loaded with Venezuelan crude.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know....
The U.S.-Iran peace deal won't be signed on Sunday, Iranian spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said. His statement appears to contradict mediator, Pak...
As the 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June across North America, U.S. visa restrictions and travel policies have made it impossible for supporters, ...
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, ...
European museums are increasingly returning cultural artefacts to countries in Africa and the Middle East, as pressure grows to address the legacy of ...
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
While France hosts next week’s Group of Seven summit, businesses in neighbouring Switzerland have already begun taking precautions, with many shops in Geneva boarded up ahead of a large anti-G7 demonstration expected on Sunday.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have criticised Britain, France and Germany for leaving them out of talks with Russia about a potential future peace deal for Ukraine.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
European museums are increasingly returning cultural artefacts to countries in Africa and the Middle East, as pressure grows to address the legacy of colonialism and disputed ownership.
Uganda’s health ministry has raised concerns over what it described as unfair travel restrictions imposed during the current Ebola outbreak, warning that such measures risk undermining transparent reporting. .
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, tighter controls on foreign students and expanded investigative powers for the migration authorities.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment