CNN: US military piled up thousands of troops in Caribbean in last few months

The United States has significantly expanded its military presence in the Caribbean in recent months, deploying thousands of troops and more than a dozen naval vessels, according to CNN.

Some of those military assets have been used as part of a series of strikes that have destroyed at least 36 alleged drug boats, and killed 115 people, in a campaign dubbed Joint Task Force Southern Spear which officials say is meant to stop the flow of drugs into the US.

By mid-December, US military assets in the region included the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, centered on the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier. The strike group also comprises Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Mahan and USS Bainbridge, as well as the USS Winston S. Churchill.

In addition, the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit were deployed, together accounting for more than 4,500 Marines and sailors. The amphibious group includes the USS Fort Lauderdale and USS San Antonio.

Other US Navy ships operating in the Caribbean during the same period reportedly included the USS Gettysburg, USS Thomas Hudner, USS Stockdale, and USS Lake Erie.

Alongside naval deployments, US forces have been concentrating in Puerto Rico following the reopening of Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, a facility that had been closed for decades.

CNN also reported that the US military deployed 10 F-35 fighter jets and at least three MQ-9 Reaper drones to the island as part of the broader regional buildup.

By Sabina Mammadli