WASHINGTON — The United States is deploying additional troops and military equipment to the Caribbean region as part of a stepped-up pressure campaign against Venezuela. According to reporting by The New York Times, at least sixteen large C-17 military transport aircraft have flown from U.S. Army bases to Puerto Rico in recent days, with the actual number of flights likely higher.
Sources cited by The Wall Street Journal say the aircraft were carrying troops and military hardware. Earlier this week, at least ten V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft were also observed heading toward the region, further signaling a significant build-up of U.S. military capabilities.
The reinforcements expand Washington’s options for potential military action against Venezuela. The United States has already carried out controversial operations in recent months, including strikes on vessels it claims were involved in drug trafficking and the seizure of oil tankers linked to Venezuela. Earlier this week, Donald Trump again publicly raised the possibility of airstrikes.
The U.S. government does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. Trump has repeatedly labeled Maduro’s government a “terrorist organization” and accused it of involvement in drug trafficking and regional destabilization.
In previous weeks, the United States had already dispatched an aircraft carrier and several other warships to the Caribbean, bringing the estimated number of U.S. military personnel in the region to around 15,000. The latest airlift appears to further reinforce that presence.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” Trump wrote on social media last week. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be unprecedented.”
A security expert quoted by The Wall Street Journal suggested that Washington has already made key decisions about its course of action. “The remaining question,” the expert said, “is what the United States ultimately wants to achieve.”
The growing U.S. military footprint in the Caribbean has raised concerns across the region, including in nearby territories such as Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire, where governments are closely monitoring developments amid rising geopolitical tensions.