The U.S. is sending Marine Corps F-35s to Puerto Rico after Venezuelan warplanes buzzed an American naval vessel—raising fears that Trump’s “war on cartels” could spiral into a showdown with Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
Tensions in the Caribbean are boiling over as the United States confirmed it will deploy ten F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico, following a Venezuelan military fly-by over a U.S. naval ship.
A Dangerous Encounter
The incident occurred Thursday, when Venezuelan aircraft flew over a U.S. vessel involved in counter-narcotics operations. Washington slammed the maneuver as “highly provocative,” warning that Venezuela’s “cartel regime” was “strongly advised” not to interfere again.
The Pentagon withheld details on just how close the Venezuelan jets came, while CBS News reported they were armed F-16s.
From Drug Strike to Fighter Jet Standoff
The escalation followed a U.S. strike on a speedboat Tuesday, allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela. All 11 people aboard were killed, sparking outrage over America’s use of lethal force against what critics call civilians.
The fly-by was Maduro’s sharp reply. Hours earlier, he appeared on Venezuelan state TV, summoning 10 million militia members and reservists to mobilize amid the threat of U.S. action.
Trump’s Pressure Campaign
The military buildup adds fuel to speculation that President Donald Trump, despite vows to avoid foreign entanglements, is preparing to tighten the noose on Nicolás Maduro’s socialist regime.
The U.S. has already sent ships carrying 4,000 sailors and Marines to the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Ecuador, signaled that Washington was ready for “more aggressive action”.
“We’re not just going to hunt for drug dealers or their little fast boats,” Rubio warned. “The president has said he wants to wage war on these groups because they’ve been waging war on us for 30 years.”
Signals of Escalation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strike and reinforced that more could follow. Analysts now fear the line between counter-narcotics operations and regime-change strategy is blurring, with the risk of a direct military confrontation rising fast.
