The United States will deploy 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to support operations against drug cartels, sources familiar with the matter told the New York Post on Friday. The move comes days after a U.S. military strike k*lled 11 individuals on a boat in the Caribbean Sea, which President Donald Trump described as carrying members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The F-35s, among the most advanced fighter jets in the U.S. arsenal with stealth capabilities and the ability to carry nuclear weapons, are expected to arrive in Puerto Rico next week, according to a source close to the Trump administration. While the specific role of the jets remains unclear, their deployment is seen as a show of force to deter drug trafficking in the region.
Escalation Follows Recent Caribbean Strike
The deployment follows a U.S. military operation on Tuesday, September 2, where a precision strike in international waters destroyed a vessel that Trump claimed was transporting drugs from Venezuela. The president stated the boat was operated by Tren de Aragua, a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. in February 2025.
“TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of [Venezuelan President] Nicolás Maduro, responsible for mass m*rder, drug trafficking, s*x trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The strike, which k*lled 11 individuals, has drawn criticism from some quarters. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called the action “lawless,” arguing that designating a group as a terrorist organization does not grant the president authority to bypass Congress’s role in matters of war and peace.
U.S. officials have not publicly detailed the legal justification for the strike or confirmed the specific drugs involved.
Tensions Rise with Venezuela
The F-35 deployment adds to an already significant U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, including at least eight warships, a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, and over 4,500 Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting training in southern Puerto Rico.
The buildup follows a provocative incident on Thursday, when two Venezuelan F-16 jets flew near the USS Jason Dunham, a U.S. Navy destroyer, in international waters. The Pentagon described the flyover as a “highly provocative move” aimed at disrupting U.S. counter-narcotics operations.
The Trump administration has intensified its focus on Venezuela, accusing President Nicolás Maduro of leading a narco-state and collaborating with drug cartels like Tren de Aragua and Cartel de Los Soles.
In August, the Justice Department increased a bounty on Maduro to $50 million, following his indictment on drug trafficking charges in the Southern District of New York. “Let there be no doubt — he, Nicolás Maduro, is an indicted drug trafficker in the United States, and he’s a fugitive of American justice,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
The U.S. considers Maduro’s leadership illegitimate, citing disputed elections in 2018 and 2024. “He is a fugitive of U.S. justice. He’s not the legitimate leader of Venezuela. We never recognized him,” Rubio stated, emphasizing Maduro’s role in regional instability.
Venezuela’s government has denied the allegations of narco-trafficking and accused the U.S. of seeking regime change through military pressure. At a news conference in Caracas on Monday, Maduro called the U.S. military buildup “the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.” He has mobilized Venezuela’s military, including 15,000 coastal troops and a militia, in response.
The deployment of F-35s, combined with recent naval operations, signals a sustained U.S. campaign against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, though it risks further escalating tensions with Venezuela. The administration has not commented on the specific operational plans for the jets or the broader legal framework for its military actions in the region.
