U.S. Deploys CV-22B Tiltrotors and MC-130J Commando II Aircraft Closer to Venezuela

The United States has moved CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and MC-130J Commando II special-operations planes closer to Venezuela.

According to The War Zone, the aircraft were spotted in Puerto Rico.

These platforms are used for special missions and are part of a broader buildup of U.S. military equipment and personnel in the Caribbean.

Satellite images published online show at least five MC-130J Commando II multi-role transport aircraft currently stationed at Rafael Hernández Airport in Puerto Rico. The aircraft are believed to have arrived there on December 17.

At least nine CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft belonging to the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command are also stationed there.

The MC-130J is a special-mission transport and aerial refueling aircraft capable of delivering cargo and personnel deep behind enemy lines in all weather conditions. It can do so by landing on unprepared fields or by airdropping supplies and deploying personnel by parachute.

The deployment of special-mission aviation is taking place as the Donald Trump administration has increased pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by ordering the detention of oil tankers entering and leaving the country’s ports.

Against this backdrop, the Venezuelan military has begun distributing weapons to civilians in working-class neighborhoods under the guise of forming local militias capable of mounting armed resistance in the event of a U.S. invasion.

About two months ago, Venezuelan authorities stated that they were preparing the population for a “guerrilla war” amid escalating tensions with the United States.

At the time, officials in Caracas directly linked the militarization of civilians to the threat of external intervention and possible use of force by Washington.

Trump recently stated that the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been officially designated a foreign terrorist organization.

He also claimed that Venezuela is allegedly completely surrounded by “the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America.”