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- US F-35s seen landing in Puerto Rico amid Venezuela tensions</p>
<p>September 14, 2025 at 2:27 AM</p>
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<p>An F-35 fighter jets arrive at the former Roosevelt Roads military base in Ceiba.</p>
<p>(Reuters) -Five U.S. F-35 aircraft were seen landing in Puerto Rico on Saturday after President Donald Trump last week ordered 10 of the stealth fighters to join a military buildup in the Caribbean to counter drug cartels amid rising tensions with Venezuela.</p>
<p>The F-35s were seen landing at the former Roosevelt Roads military base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, by Ricky Arduengo, a contract photographer working for Reuters. U.S. helicopters and Osprey aircraft as well as other U.S. transport aircraft and military personnel have been seen at the base in recent days.</p>
<p>The latest sightings come after a surprise visit to Puerto Rico this week by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth along with the top U.S. general amid escalating tensions with Venezuela.</p>
<p>Asked about the aircraft, a Pentagon duty press officer said: "We have no force posture changes to announce currently."</p>
<p>Sources told Reuters last week that the Trump administration ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to conduct operations against drug cartels.</p>
<p>In announcing the plan last week to send more aircraft to the region, Trump said the United States was not talking about regime change in Venezuela.</p>
<p>Last week, the U.S. military killed 11 people in a strike on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics in the first known operation since the Trump administration's recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean.</p>
<p>Venezuela has said none of the 11 people killed were drug traffickers.</p>
<p>The Venezuelan government announced on Saturday that a U.S. destroyer intercepted, boarded and occupied a Venezuelan tuna fishing vessel for eight hours in the South American country's Special Economic Zone on Friday.</p>
<p>It said the vessel was boarded in an illegal and hostile manner, and that it was crewed by nine "humble" fishermen and was "harmless."</p>
<p>U.S. officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the alleged incident.</p>
<p>F-35s are highly advanced stealth fighters and would be effective in any combat against Venezuela's air force, which includes F-16 aircraft.</p>
<p>(Reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)</p>
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