Analysis: Comprehensive overview of US forces deployed in the Caribbean facing Venezuela.

Since late summer 2025, the American military presence in the Caribbean has shifted into a large-scale deployment encompassing all dimensions of naval and air power. Washington has simultaneously positioned surface combatants, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, an amphibious group, and an advanced air component. Together, these elements provide a complete set of capabilities: long-range strikes with Tomahawk cruise missiles, troop projection through amphibious ships, air cover from fifth-generation fighters, and reinforced surveillance by drones and maritime patrol aircraft. The result is an integrated posture able to conduct high-intensity operations while maintaining a permanent deterrent presence.
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US forces deployed in the Caribbean include warships, a nuclear attack submarine, amphibious ships, F-35B fighters, P-8 Poseidon aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones and Marine helicopters. (Picture source: US DoD)

The core of the deployment lies in the surface fleet. Three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), and USS Sampson (DDG 102), are operating in the Caribbean Sea. Equipped with the Aegis combat system, they combine air defense, anti-submarine, and anti-surface capabilities. Each carries more than 90 vertical launch system (VLS) cells, configured for SM-2, SM-6, ESSM, and Tomahawk missiles. Their presence is reinforced by the cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), with more than 120 VLS cells, providing saturation firepower and deep strike capability against land targets. The nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750), a Los Angeles-class unit, adds a discreet but decisive element. It can launch around 40 Tomahawk missiles in addition to Mk 48 torpedoes, while also ensuring undersea surveillance.

The amphibious component is equally significant. USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, serves as an aviation platform with a flight deck able to host F-35B fighters, CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters, MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors, and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters. Alongside it, USS San Antonio (LPD 17) and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) provide lift for troops, armored vehicles, and heavy equipment. In total, about 4,000 sailors and Marines of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit form a landing force capable of seizing coastal areas, conducting non-combatant evacuations, or providing humanitarian support.

Air assets combine fighter, patrol, and logistical support. The arrival of five F-35B Lightning II aircraft in Puerto Rico marks a significant step: these stealth fighters provide air superiority, precision strike, and intelligence gathering through advanced sensors. They complement the AV-8B Harrier II jets still in service with the Marine Corps. The deployment also includes P-8A Poseidon aircraft, specialized in maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare, able to use sonobuoys, Mk 54 torpedoes, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. MQ-9 Reaper drones deliver persistent surveillance over maritime areas with more than 24 hours of endurance. To ensure strategic mobility, KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46A Pegasus aircraft extend fighter range, while C-17 Globemaster III and C-5M Galaxy transports provide heavy lift.

The Pentagon continues to frame this buildup as a “counter-narcotics” operation. Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, emphasized that the ships are engaged against cartels designated as terrorist organizations. President Donald Trump confirmed two strikes on vessels described as narco-terrorist craft, using the term “kinetic strikes” to highlight their offensive character. According to Washington, evidence showed that these vessels carried cocaine and fentanyl, forming the basis for justifying the use of naval force.

In Caracas, President Nicolás Maduro responded by launching Operation Plan Independencia 200, mobilizing armed forces and militias along 284 coastal sectors. The Venezuelan Air Force increased flights, including F-16 deployments near American destroyers. The government maintains that the US presence represents an existential threat, portraying the counter-narcotics campaign as a pretext for regime change.

The expansion of American forces has also drawn international reactions. Beijing denounced violations of international law and called on Washington to respect Venezuelan sovereignty. Moscow expressed political support for Caracas, although its involvement remains limited to diplomatic statements. These reactions underline the geopolitical dimension of the deployment: beyond Venezuela, it reflects great-power competition for influence in the Western Hemisphere.

The combination of multi-role destroyers, a heavy cruiser, a nuclear-powered submarine, amphibious ships, and fifth-generation aircraft turns the Caribbean Sea into a potential high-intensity theater of operations. While Washington insists no ground invasion is planned, the deployed assets provide a wide spectrum of military options, from maritime blockade to precision strikes against strategic infrastructure. For Venezuela, this poses a challenge beyond its military capacity; for the United States, it demonstrates a calibrated show of force meant to affirm technological superiority and operational freedom in the region.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces, with a strong focus on multilateral cooperation and geopolitics.