US to deploy F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for anti-drug operations - Reuters

Published 05/09/2025, 12:34
US to deploy F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for anti-drug operations - Reuters

Investing.com -- The United States has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to conduct operations against drug cartels, according to Reuters, citing two sources briefed on the matter.

The advanced fighter jets will join an expanding U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump implements his campaign pledge to crack down on groups he claims are trafficking drugs into the United States.

This deployment comes three days after U.S. forces attacked a boat that Trump said was carrying "massive amounts of drugs" from Venezuela, resulting in 11 fatalities. The strike appears to signal the beginning of a sustained military campaign in Latin America.

According to the sources, who spoke anonymously, the fighter jets are being sent specifically to target designated narco-terrorist organizations operating in the southern Caribbean. The planes are expected to arrive in the area by late next week.

In recent weeks, the U.S. has positioned warships in the southern Caribbean as part of Trump’s anti-drug trafficking initiative.

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