In Ponce, Puerto Rico, the landing and movement of U.S. troops continued this weekend as part of the most intense military reinforcement the United States has deployed in the Caribbean in more than three decades. As a Reuters team observed on the ground early Saturday morning, personnel and military equipment were transferred from a U.S. warship to logistics facilities near the port, preparing for their subsequent relocation to Camp Santiago, the epicenter of exercises planned for the coming days. This operation is part of the deployment announced by Washington in August, which has been expanded in recent months as part of a strategy to exert pressure on Venezuela and combat criminal networks in the region.
The recorded images showed dozens of soldiers orderly disembarking from transport vehicles and forming lines alongside several buses under the supervision of the Military Police. The troops carried backpacks and personal equipment, moving within a guarded perimeter where the disembarkation routine proceeded smoothly. Simultaneously, other groups unloaded boxes, containers, and light weapons from trucks and tactical vehicles, a logistical operation that extended across the esplanade throughout the morning. A steady line of military vehicles remained waiting as the flow of personnel advanced toward the embarkation points, in a coordinated and efficient process.
At sea, the day included maneuvers by the U.S. Navy with Landing Craft Air Cushions (LCACs), which were captured moving off the coast of Ponce. The vessels executed approaches to land, navigated at different speeds, and made round trips at sunset, as part of typical amphibious training exercises. The maneuvers required precision and coordination in each cycle, setting the pace for operations both at sea and on land.
The activities in Puerto Rico are taking place within the context of a military buildup that began in late August 2025. According to data from the U.S. Department of Defense cited in public statements and reviewed by Reuters, the operation involves the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, six destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a guided-missile cruiser, a nuclear submarine, and an air deployment that includes P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, B-52H Stratofortress bombers, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and helicopters, in addition to special forces units. The total contingent exceeds 7,000 troops deployed in various Caribbean locations.
The increased military presence in Puerto Rico coincided with high-profile air activity during the week. On Wednesday, two B-52H bombers flew over northeastern Curaçao, near the coast of Venezuela, according to Flightradar24 records verified by Reuters. One of the bombers, identified by tail number 61-0035 and call sign “PARKA11,” departed from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and, after several hours of flight, was reported in Caribbean airspace alongside a second aircraft of the same type, forming what experts described as a strategic deterrence formation. These aircraft, operational since the 1950s, are central to the United States' global deterrence and early warning missions.
The deployment of bombers followed the arrival of six P-8A Poseidon aircraft, intended for maritime patrols and detection operations. The Department of Defense maintains that these assets are a key part of the surveillance system applied to routes related to drug trafficking and the movement of suspicious vessels. Washington attributes these activities to transnational criminal organizations, especially the Cartel of the Suns, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. administration and accused of operating in collusion with high-ranking members of the Venezuelan military.
Since March 2020, federal prosecutors have filed drug trafficking and terrorism charges against Nicolás Maduro and allies in his inner circle, while the U.S. government's reward offer for Maduro's capture remains at $50 million and up to $10 million for some of his associates, according to information from the State Department and court documents cited by Reuters.
The US military buildup in the Caribbean also coincides with the Pentagon's confirmation of"contingency plans" for scenarios related to Maduro's potential departure. Statements reported by US media from officials in the Donald Trump administration have maintained that the anti-drug operation encompasses land, sea, and air actions under the premise of national security and migration control.
Throughout Saturday, U.S. military personnel continued unloading equipment, logistical preparations, and coastal exercises. The maneuvers of the LCAC amphibious vehicles in the maritime area extended into the late afternoon, integrating the units that would later be transferred to Camp Santiago for a new phase of training in the following days, as confirmed by Reuters.
