Five US F-35 advanced fifth-generation jets landed in Puerto Rico on Saturday, September 13, according to a new report.
Why It Matters
US relations with Venezuela, which have been volatile for decades, have worsened in recent weeks as the US has built up its military presence near the country, deploying warships, helicopters, fighter jets, and aerial reconnaissance. The two countries have no diplomatic relations, and there is no personal relationship between US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
What To Know
After US helicopters and other aircraft landed at the former Puerto Rican air base Roosevelt Roads, five fifth-generation aircraft made by Lockheed Martin landed there, according to Reuters.
Reuters first reported that the Trump administration would send 10 stealth fighters to Puerto Rico after the US launched a missile attack on a boat operated by the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua cartel in early September.
President Trump said that 11 people were killed in the attack, whom he referred to as “narco-terrorists,” but Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said, “None were drug traffickers.”
Ten F-35 fighter jets are expected to carry out operations against drug cartels in the region, with the main goal of reducing drug trafficking and crime within the United States, according to Newsweek.
Also Read: Russia Reacts to Trump’s Strike on Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Gang
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Puerto Rico on September 8 to review military preparations and support anti-drug cartel operations with top US General Dan Caine.
“We thank President Trump and his administration for recognizing the strategic importance of Puerto Rico to US national security and for their fight against drug cartels and the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro,” said Puerto Rico’s governor, Jenniffer González.