Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
5d ago

Pentagon Releases First Official Images Confirming 10 USMC F‑35Bs Deployed to Puerto Rico

The Pentagon frames the Caribbean buildup as counter-narcotics under newly asserted authorities.

Image
A U.S. Marine Corps plane captain and pilot assigned to the Marine Fighter Attach Squadron 225 (VMFA-225), perform post flight operations for an F-35B Lightning II after landing in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility, Sept. 13, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Katelynn Jackson)
Image

Overview

  • Ten F-35B jets arrived at the former Roosevelt Roads base on Sept. 13, with official captions identifying them as VMFA-225 despite removed unit markings.
  • Venezuela’s defense minister said air defenses tracked F‑35 flights in the Maiquetía flight region off its coast, while open-source trackers reported patrols that have not been independently verified.
  • The forward-based jets sit within a larger U.S. posture that includes the Iwo Jima ARG/22nd MEU, multiple guided-missile warships, a fast-attack submarine, MQ‑9 Reapers, and the Ocean Trader support ship.
  • An administration memo reported by the Associated Press says President Trump designated drug cartels as unlawful combatants and declared a non-international armed conflict, following recent lethal strikes on small boats.
  • Social-media OSINT claims that U.S. forces could conduct territorial-seizure operations in Venezuela remain unconfirmed and have not been corroborated by official sources.