5 US F-35 jets land in Puerto Rico amid tensions with Venezuela

Five US F-35 fighter jets landed at the former Roosevelt Roads military base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, Reuters reported. In recent days, helicopters, Osprey aircraft, transport planes and US personnel have also been spotted at the site.

The move comes after President Donald Trump ordered ten F-35s to the Caribbean as part of a wider military buildup against drug cartels. Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a top general visited Puerto Rico to review operations.

Asked about the jets, a Pentagon duty press officer told Reuters: “We have no force posture changes to announce currently.” Reuters earlier reported the aircraft were assigned to counter-narcotics missions. Trump also clarified the deployment was not aimed at regime change in Venezuela.

Last week, the US military launched its first strike since the buildup, killing 11 people aboard a Venezuelan vessel it accused of smuggling narcotics. Venezuela rejected the claim, saying none of the dead were drug traffickers.

On Saturday, Caracas accused a US destroyer of intercepting a tuna fishing boat with nine crew members in its Special Economic Zone. Venezuela called the act “illegal” and “hostile,” while Al Jazeera reported the vessel was stopped by the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109). Washington has yet to respond.

The arrival of the stealth fighters adds to growing US military activity in the region. Relations remain tense, with Trump having already ordered warships to the Caribbean in August under the banner of fighting drug cartels.