ESA Sentinel-2 satellite imagery confirmed that the USS Iwo Jima amphibious group transited the Caribbean Sea after exercises south of Puerto Rico, positioned approximately 550 km off the Venezuelan coast. The group is centered on the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and includes two San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks and an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
The USS Iwo Jima can deploy Marine Expeditionary Units, MV-22 Osprey aircraft, helicopters, and landing craft. San Antonio-class LPDs transport troops, vehicles, and equipment, while the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer provides air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and precision strike capabilities.
Additional US assets in the region include destroyers USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Sampson (DDG 102), littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21), and the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750). Surveillance is supported by P-8A Poseidon aircraft, C-17 Globemaster III transports, and MV-22 Ospreys from Puerto Rico. Over 4,000 Marines and sailors are engaged in amphibious, maritime security, and counter-narcotics missions.
Tensions escalated on September 4, 2025, when two Venezuelan F-16 fighters conducted a harassment flight over USS Jason Dunham. The Pentagon called the maneuver “highly provocative” and warned Venezuela against further interference. The incident follows a US strike in international waters targeting a vessel linked to the Tren de Aragua criminal group, which resulted in 11 deaths.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro responded by mobilizing troops and the Bolivarian Militia, denouncing what he described as US destabilization efforts. Analysts note that a full-scale invasion remains unlikely, but the combination of naval deployments, strikes, and aerial encounters raises the risk of uncontrolled escalation.
The Caribbean remains a high-stakes area where American force projection and Venezuelan nationalist rhetoric intersect, with every military maneuver carrying political implications.
