The United States Launched Amphibious Exercises in Puerto Rico Near Venezuela

The US Navy and Marine Corps are conducting amphibious exercises in southern Puerto Rico, near Venezuela, amid tensions with Venezuela.

This was reported by The War Zone.

The marines and sailors involved in the exercise are part of a group sent to counter drug trafficking. A representative of the US Navy told about this The War Zone. According to him, three ships are currently near Puerto Rico.

The group consists of more than 4,500 sailors and marines on three ships: the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and two San Antonio-class amphibious dock landing ships – USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale. Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are taking part in the amphibious assault exercise.

The exercises in Puerto Rico “are aimed at increasing the readiness and capabilities of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as strengthening the relationship with the Puerto Rico National Guard. Amphibious operations are a cornerstone of fleet integration and a key competency of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. They ensure the rapid deployment of Marines from ships to shore in support of U.S. strategic objectives,” the unit said.

In addition to the amphibious assault ships, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham are also deployed to the southern Caribbean, the Navy spokesman said.

In addition, the Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser USS Lake Erie is in the Panama Canal area, having recently passed through it from the Pacific to the Caribbean. In addition, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Sampson is moored on the Pacific side of the canal.

In late August, the United States sent three destroyers to the coast of Venezuela to fight drug cartels. The destroyers USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson were assigned to patrol the area and arrived in the area of operations on August 20, 2025.

In response, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the mobilization of 4.5 million militiamen in the country and declared his readiness to “repel any attack.”

“In the face of this maximum military pressure, we have declared maximum readiness for the defense of Venezuela,” Maduro said.

At the same time, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. army is ready for a regime change operation in Venezuela. On Fox News, he emphasized that the White House has all the resources to implement the plan if President Donald Trump makes the appropriate decision.

Hegseth called Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro “the head of a drug trafficking regime.” According to him, Maduro is involved in international drug trafficking, which “directly threatens the American people.” The United States announced a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.