The United States has significantly reinforced its military presence near Venezuela, positioning a powerful naval and air task force across the Caribbean. The deployment includes F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, multiple Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group carrying over 4,500 sailors and Marines from the 22nd MEU. Officially labeled a counter-narcotics and counterterrorism mission, the force structure indicates strike capabilities well beyond maritime interdiction.
Ten F-35A jets forward-deployed to Puerto Rico provide superior ISR, electronic warfare, and precision strike capacity, enabling deep penetration against defended targets. USS Jason Dunham, USS Gravely, and USS Sampson patrol off the Venezuelan coast with more than 90 vertical launch cells each, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and air-defense interceptors.
Supporting these assets are USS Lake Erie, the littoral combat ship Minneapolis–St. Paul, and at least one fast-attack submarine conducting covert operations. P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper drones deliver persistent surveillance and generate real-time targeting data for potential strikes.
U.S. Special Operations Forces are also present aboard deployed ships and forward locations, likely tasked with direct action missions, high-value target captures, and sabotage operations against cartel networks. Expanded logistics hubs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands provide fuel, precision munitions, and command nodes to sustain long-duration multi-domain operations.
This buildup follows a classified presidential directive authorizing force against narco-terror networks and any state actors protecting them, effectively placing Venezuela’s state-linked cartels within the target envelope. Analysts note that the current posture mirrors pre-intervention force configurations from past U.S. campaigns, suggesting Washington is prepared to disable Venezuelan air defenses, radar systems, and cartel-linked infrastructure if escalation orders are given.
