Overview
- A Reuters investigation documents renovation work since mid‑September at the long‑shuttered Roosevelt Roads complex, including repaved taxiways, air‑traffic control equipment and new security measures.
- The site is already functioning as a transit node, hosting F‑35B stealth fighters and C‑17 transport aircraft on a 3,350‑meter runway beside a deep‑water port suited to large naval vessels.
- Since August, the U.S. has surged forces into the Caribbean with eight warships, a nuclear‑powered submarine and the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier shifting toward the region.
- The Washington Post, citing internal U.S. documents, reports that Nicolás Maduro sought military assistance from Russia, China and Iran, and flight tracking showed a Russian Il‑76 cargo plane arriving in Caracas.
- CARICOM members have publicly voiced concern and reiterated the Caribbean as a "zone of peace" in response to the visible buildup centered on Puerto Rico.