U.S. Marines of 22nd MEU sustain high readiness as Caribbean tensions with Venezuela rise.

U.S. Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit carried out fast rope insertion drills aboard the USS Iwo Jima while deployed in the Caribbean Sea. The training, announced by the Marine Corps on November 15, 2025, comes as regional tension with Venezuela continues to draw attention from U.S. defense officials.

On November 15, 2025, the United States Marine Corps announced via its official X account that Marines of the 22nd MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) had executed fast rope insertion drills from a U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter onto the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima. The ship was underway in the Caribbean Sea. The pictures showed Marines descending rapidly from the helicopter during sustained ship-to-shore readiness training. Their continued high-tempo activity aligns with concerns among U.S. commanders about rising tensions with Venezuela. It also highlights the need to preserve rapid-response flexibility across the Western Hemisphere.
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U.S. Marines with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct fast rope insertion drills from a U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk onto the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) in the Caribbean Sea, November 15, 2025. The training supports Operation Southern Spear, a U.S. military campaign aimed at countering transnational threats and securing maritime approaches to the homeland. (Picture source: U.S. Marine Corps X account)

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, embarked aboard the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, fields approximately 2,200 Marines and Sailors. The unit is structured around a reinforced infantry battalion, an aviation combat element equipped with MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter , AH-1Z Vipers, and UH-1Y Venoms attack helicopters, as well as a logistics detachment and command headquarters capable of joint operations integration.

The 22nd MEU, as a scalable sea-based combat team, can operate independently for up to 30 days. This provides combatant commanders with a forward-deployed expeditionary strike capability to respond to crises that develop with little warning. Under Southern Spear authority, the mission focuses on maritime interdiction, counter-narcotics, and deterrence of transnational criminal networks in the southern maritime corridor.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is a U.S. Navy task force centered around the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, and typically includes two additional ships: a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock (such as USS San Antonio) and a Landing Ship Dock (LSD) or another LPD. The ARG operates in close coordination with a deployed Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)—in this case, the 22nd MEU (Special Operations Capable).

Together, the Iwo Jima ARG forms a highly mobile, sea-based crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious assaults, maritime security operations, non-combatant evacuations, humanitarian assistance, and limited combat operations. The group integrates naval aviation, ground forces, and logistics support, giving it the ability to project power ashore from the sea across a broad range of missions. It serves as a cornerstone of the U.S. Navy–Marine Corps team’s expeditionary warfare strategy, especially in regions like the Middle East, Mediterranean, and now, the Caribbean.

Fast-rope insertion, as practiced aboard the USS Iwo Jima, is designed for direct-action scenarios. Such missions include hostile ship boarding, rapid urban seizure, or high-risk raids on static targets. This reflects the MEU’s core utility: striking quickly from the sea against elusive or hostile actors along coastal or maritime routes. Drug trafficking organizations now use heavily armed fast boats, semi-submersibles, and electronic spoofing technologies. The Navy–Marine Corps team is tasked with countering what some defense officials describe as a hybridized, non-state maritime threat.

Although public documentation remains limited, defense officials familiar with the mission profile have indicated that the 22nd MEU is closely integrated with U.S. Navy ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) platforms across the region. While Army Recognition cannot independently verify reports of ongoing live ISR sweeps along the Lesser Antilles or the northern coast of South America, past MEU exercises suggest the capacity exists. In particular, training earlier this year focused on small-drone operations and maritime intelligence integration, likely intended for future use in targeting trafficking networks.

At present, no formal acknowledgment has been made regarding changes to the rules of engagement. However, statements by Secretary Hegseth in recent public briefings described Southern Spear as a “warfighting campaign.” He framed cartels and affiliated actors as battlefield adversaries rather than criminal elements. That rhetorical shift may reflect internal policy changes within the Department of War. No updated engagement authorities have been publicly released.

In addition to counter-narcotics, defense planners are closely monitoring regional instability, particularly in Venezuela. The Maduro regime’s ongoing support for irregular militias and narco-terrorist proxies has raised concerns in Washington, and the 22nd MEU’s amphibious capability provides SOUTHCOM with a forward-deployed option for embassy reinforcement, non-combatant evacuations, or more assertive actions if directed by the President. While no formal mission has been assigned to Venezuela at this time, the Iwo Jima ARG's geographic positioning leaves multiple regional contingencies on the table.

The MEU’s aviation assets include MV-22B tiltrotors. These have a combat radius exceeding 650 km (350 nautical miles), making them well-suited for rapid insertion from sea to shore across a wide operational area. Light armored vehicles, Javelin anti-tank teams, portable ISR drones, and expeditionary firepower round out its toolkit. This capability enables the unit to operate in austere environments, seize high-value terrain, or pursue elusive maritime targets beyond the reach of conventional naval patrols.

What sets this deployment apart is its integration under a named military operation. Southern Spear positions the 22nd MEU not as a deterrent presence but as an active, mission-capable force, ready to project power across the southern maritime flank. The legal and political implications of that shift are still unfolding. The message from Washington is unmistakable: the United States will not allow its southern approach to become a sanctuary for cartels, smuggling syndicates, or adversarial regimes.

In this evolving operational theater, the 22nd MEU is not merely conducting exercises. It is forward, armed, and ready.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.