WP: US military buildup in Caribbean grows to estimated 16,000 troops Amid signs of wider US operations in Venezuela

The United States has deployed an estimated 16,000 military personnel, including 10,000 troops and 6,000 sailors, along with a formidable array of naval and air assets to the Caribbean, in what defence analysts say could mark the largest US buildup in the region in years.

The growing presence comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas and renewed speculation about potential military action against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government, The Washington Post writes in its military report. 

According to Pentagon data, US forces in the Caribbean currently include eight Navy warships, a special operations vessel, and a nuclear-powered attack submarine. The deployment will expand further next week with the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, accompanied by three additional warships and more than 4,000 troops.

Satellite imagery analyzed by The Washington Post also shows that the Pentagon has flown bombers along Venezuela’s coastline and positioned advanced assets at regional US bases — including F-35 fighter jets now stationed in Puerto Rico. The personnel count does not include additional forces based there.

President Donald Trump has signaled plans for “increased operations” targeting Maduro’s regime, though when asked on October 31 whether he was considering direct military strikes inside Venezuela, he replied, “no.”

The Pentagon has acknowledged conducting more than a dozen strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in recent months, resulting in at least 61 deaths since September. However, analysts suggest the scale of the buildup far exceeds what would typically be required for counternarcotics operations.

“From the beginning, the Pentagon’s buildup in the Caribbean has far exceeded what was needed for a counternarcotics operation, suggesting the mission was always ‘set to evolve,’” said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

Berg added that the arrival of the Gerald R. Ford could mark a critical turning point.

“The competition for these vessels is tremendous,” he said. “Once the Ford arrives in the Caribbean next week, it’s going to start a clock ticking and Trump will have about a month or so to make a major decision on a strike before he has to move the vessel elsewhere.”

By Sabina Mammadli