U.S. Stages Largest Caribbean Military Exercises in Years on Puerto Rico’s Coast

In early September, the United States Southern Command unveiled dramatic video of U.S. Marines conducting live-fire exercises, helicopter insertions and amphibious landings on Puerto Rico’s southern coast.

The maneuvers, which involved the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, V-22 Osprey tiltrotors, AH-1Z attack helicopters and LCAC hovercraft, represent the most significant U.S. military demonstration in the Caribbean in years.

Pentagon officials say Puerto Rico’s rugged terrain and tropical conditions offer unmatched training for combat readiness, disaster response and maritime interdiction.

Five F-35B stealth fighters also arrived at José Aponte de la Torre Airport—formerly Roosevelt Roads—joining destroyers, amphibious vessels and a nuclear-powered submarine stationed offshore.

According to the Department of Defense, these activities align with U.S. Southern Command’s strategic priorities and support broader Pentagon operations. The exercises occur amid heightened tension with Venezuela.

Over the past month, U.S. forces intercepted or sank three vessels allegedly carrying narcotics linked to President Nicolás Maduro’s military, whom Washington accuses of running the “Cartel of the Suns.”

Caracas has denounced the operations as aggression, deploying air defenses, drones and amphibious units on La Orchila Island in response. Puerto Rican officials offered measured support.

Puerto Rico’s Dual Role

Governor Jenniffer González praised the anti-drug mission and underscored the island’s role as America’s Caribbean frontier. Yet local activists warn that large-scale deployments without clear timelines fuel anxiety and risk treating Puerto Rico as a mere military outpost rather than a U.S. territory with civilian oversight.

Strategists note that while counter-narcotics form the public rationale, the presence of stealth jets and submarines signals a broader deterrence posture directed at state actors.

The combination of U.S. power projection from Puerto Rico and Venezuela’s defensive measures has created a precarious security environment, where any misstep could spark wider confrontation.

As operations continue, the Caribbean remains a critical theater in U.S. foreign policy—balancing efforts to combat illicit trafficking with the imperative to deter regional rivals, all under the watchful eyes of local communities demanding transparency and respect for their rights.

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