🇺🇸 Caribbean Military Surge: US Prepares Staging Ground Near Venezuela
US Reactivates Roosevelt Roads Base and Deploys F-35s as Part of Largest Military Buildup in Decades; Guyana Exercises Escalate Tensions with Maduro Regime
US Reactivates Key Cold War Naval Base near Venezuela
The United States military is undertaking its most significant operational build-up in the Caribbean since the 1990s, centering on the strategic revitalization of the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico. Abandoned over two decades ago, the base, located approximately 500 miles from the Venezuelan coastline, is rapidly transforming into a major logistics and aviation staging area. Crews are conducting extensive upgrades, including the repaving of key taxiways and runways to accommodate heavy military transport and advanced fighter jets like the recently deployed F-35A Joint Strike Fighters and specialized E/A-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.
This infrastructure push, alongside the deployment of a mobile air traffic control tower at other civilian airports in Puerto Rico, signals preparations for a sustained, high-tempo operational tempo far exceeding typical counter-narcotics missions. Analysts interpret this as a clear effort to establish a crucial logistical hub for potential future operations aimed at pressuring the Nicolás Maduro regime in Caracas.
‘Southern Spear’ Operation Brings Carrier Strike Group
Codenamed “Operation Southern Spear,” the deployment includes the nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, numerous destroyers, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of personnel. While officially aimed at disrupting drug trafficking flows, the formidable assembly of assets—which also includes strategic bombers—is viewed by critics and the Maduro government as an explicit military threat.
The Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the US military buildup is aimed at overthrowing him and seizing control of the OPEC nation’s vast oil resources. In response, Venezuela has mobilized troops and militias, vowing to defend “every inch” of its territory against “imperialist threats.” The Venezuelan military is reportedly conducting its own nationwide drills, raising the regional threat level.
Deepening Ties with Guyana and Regional Alarm
Adding fuel to the fire, the US has significantly deepened its security relationship with Guyana, which shares a highly contested border with Venezuela over the oil-rich Essequibo region. The US Southern Command recently conducted joint military flight drills with the Guyana Defense Force, reaffirming Washington’s “unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty.”
Venezuela has swiftly condemned these exercises as a “direct provocation” that destabilizes regional peace. The US military activity near the border—combined with new aggressive tactics like the seizure of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers at sea—indicates a synchronized campaign of economic and military pressure designed to create maximum psychological and financial stress on the Maduro government, increasing the likelihood of an internal fracture.