A flight of six F-35B stealth fighters landed in Puerto Rico Saturday afternoon to take part in the Trump Administration’s enhanced operation against narcotraffickers, also aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. They will join one of the largest U.S. military deployments to the Caribbean in years.
Video emerged of the jets landing at the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. A U.S. defense official told The War Zone that “[w]e have no force posture changes to announce currently.”
Interestingly, the F-35s seen landing at the base have no unit markings on their tails. This could be force protection/security tactic, it isn’t clear at this time.
The fifth-generation jets originated at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma and did a stopover at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, according to open source flight trackers on social media.
They were photographed being refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker near Miami.
Earlier this month, Trump ordered 10 F-35s to take part in a mission that the Trump administration has made the centerpiece of its foreign policy and power projection. The White House considers Maduro a narco-terrorist tied to a Venezuelan drug cartel. He is also a fugitive with a $50 million bounty on his head.
The jets join an armada that includes 4,500 Marines and sailors, at least eight ships, including a nuclear-powered Los Angeles class fast attack submarine, and many other military assets. The Air Combat Element (ACE) that’s part of the amphibious group have AV-8B+ Harriers deployed to the USS Iwo Jima, as well. A second flight of four F-35s from MCAS Yuma is also headed toward Puerto Rico, according to open source flight spotters.
Deadly force has already been used in this mission. Trump said 11 smugglers were killed in an attack on a cartel boat were killed in attack11 smugglers tied to Tren de Aragua (TD) drug cartel. Venezuela responded by flying two F-16s near the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham.
It is unclear what missions the fighters will perform. We’ve reached out to the White House and Pentagon for more details.
It is not unusual to have high-end aircraft join the fight against narcotics trafficking.
The F-35s bring a wide array of capabilities wherever they are deployed. While best known for its kinetic capabilities, including striking targets and taking on enemy aircraft, the Joint Strike Fighter is an extremely powerful intelligence gathering tool, with its highly capable radar and electro-optical systems. Yet its electronic intelligence gathering ability is perhaps its most potent reconnaissance asset. You can read more about that here. In addition, the B model is capable of operating on the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, that is, as we noted earlier, currently off the coast of Puerto Rico. Launching and recovering from a ship as an option provides commanders with extra flexibility when planning operations.
This is a developing story.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com