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USS Stockdale Enters Caribbean as U.S. Expands Naval Buildup

The move advances a Trump administration push to disrupt Venezuelan-linked drug networks.

A screen grab released by the Panama Canal Authority shows the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Stockdale in the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal on September 21, 2025.
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Overview

  • Webcam imagery from the Panama Canal Authority showed the destroyer transiting the Miraflores Locks on Sept. 21 before reporting its position in Limon Bay on the Atlantic side.
  • USNI News reports Stockdale is now operating alongside seven other U.S. surface warships in the Caribbean, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, cruiser Lake Erie, and LCS Minneapolis–Saint Paul.
  • The arrival follows earlier movements by USS Sampson and USS Lake Erie, making Stockdale the third recent U.S. warship in Panamanian waters and underscoring the canal’s strategic role.
  • The buildup supports counter-narcotics operations that have included at least three lethal strikes on suspected Venezuelan cartel boats, with President Trump saying the latest on Sept. 19 killed three men.
  • With few details released by the Pentagon, the strikes have prompted legal questions from some in Congress, while Venezuelan official Diosdado Cabello warned of potential “devastating counterattacks.”