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Top Pentagon Officials Visit Puerto Rico as US Steps Up Caribbean Military Operations

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supports over 1,000 Marines and plans to deploy 10 F-35 jets to combat Caribbean drug cartels amid regional tensions, officials said.

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine arrived in Puerto Rico on Monday, meeting officials at the 156th Wing Muñiz Air National Guard Base to support anti-cartel efforts.
  • The buildup includes planned F-35 deployments as the U.S. prepares operations targeting drug cartels, with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting amphibious training in southern Puerto Rico on Aug. 31.
  • Gov. Jenniffer González said Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base and estimated more than 1,000 Marines were on the island last week.
  • A recent strike announced by President Donald Trump killed Eleven linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, and dozens protested Sunday at the National Guard base in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
  • Regionally, reactions were mixed as some Caribbean leaders praised the strike while Caricom members recently asked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for open communication amid lingering 1940s U.S. Navy training ranges concerns.
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived in Puerto Rico this Monday, a few days after...

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NBC Miami broke the news in Miami, United States on Monday, September 8, 2025.
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