U.S. Military Expansion in Puerto Rico Raises Alarms Over Sovereignty and Regional Stability

At least five F-35 combat jets from the U.S. Navy recently touched down at José Aponte de la Torre Airport, the former Roosevelt Roads base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico—a move that signals an unsettling escalation of American military presence in the Caribbean. Alongside these advanced aircraft, a Boeing C-5 transport plane was also spotted, underscoring a robust deployment with implications far beyond routine operations. This buildup occurs amid a broader U.S. naval concentration near Venezuela’s coastline: eight warships equipped with missiles and a nuclear-powered submarine claim to be targeting narcotics trafficking. Yet Caracas condemns these maneuvers as thinly veiled attempts...