Overview

• Open-source images confirm at least two MQ-9 Reaper drones at Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla, including one photographed by Reuters armed with Hellfire missiles.
• Air & Space Forces Magazine reports, citing people familiar with the matter, that the Pentagon plans to station 10 F-35s in Puerto Rico, though the services and timing have not been publicly detailed.
• Heavy-lift C-17 transports and KC-135 tankers have surged flights into the region as the Navy’s USS Iwo Jima and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit continue operations near Puerto Rico.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine visited forces in Puerto Rico and aboard Iwo Jima on Sept. 9, emphasizing the area’s frontline role.
• The administration says the Sept. 2 strike targeted narcotics traffickers tied to Tren de Aragua, while Venezuela rejects that account and members of Congress, including Sen. Rand Paul, question the legality and use of a drone.