The US is sending 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to combat drug cartels

The United States is deploying ten F-35 fighter jets to the airport in Puerto Rico to carry out operations against drug cartels, two anonymous sources told Reuters.
This decision reinforces the already significant US military presence in the southern Caribbean, where President Donald Trump has announced a tougher fight against groups he believes are supplying drugs to the US.

The move follows an airstrike on a ship carrying a “huge amount of drugs” from Venezuela, which killed eleven people. The F-35s are scheduled to arrive in the region at the end of next week to target identified narco-terror groups.

In addition, there are seven warships and a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine with more than 4,500 Navy and Marine Corps personnel in the region. These forces are already conducting exercises and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico.

The US is increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described as a key player in drug trafficking. Maduro, in turn, has accused the US of seeking regime change by military means.

US officials have not yet disclosed the legal basis for the attack on the ship or the exact types of drugs being transported.

(reuters, sie)