- Title: EXPLAINER - Why the U.S. is building up military forces near Venezuela?
- Date: 11th November 2025
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE - JULY 28, 2024) (REUTERS) MADURO PLACING HIS VOTE IN BALLOT BOX MADURO CHECKING HIS NAME IN ELECTORAL REGISTER AND MARKING THUMB WITH INK CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE - JULY 29, 2024) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF MADURO, ON STAGE AT EVENT TO CELEBRATE HIS VICTORY IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE - AUGUST 17, 2024) (REUTERS) BUS
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: ANTI-DRUG OPERATIONS DONALD TRUMP MILITARY CONFLICT NICOLAS MADURO REGIONAL TENSIONS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNITED STATES VENEZUELA
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Various
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA00V080910112025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United States military is upgrading a long-abandoned former Cold War naval base in the Caribbean, a Reuters visual investigation has found, suggesting preparations for sustained operations that could help support possible actions inside Venezuela.
The construction activity at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico — shuttered by the Navy more than 20 years ago — was underway on September 17 when crews began clearing and repaving taxiways leading to the runway, according to photos taken by Reuters.
Until the Navy withdrew from the facility in 2004, Roosevelt Roads was one of the biggest U.S. naval stations in the world. The base occupies a strategic location and offers a large amount of space for gathering equipment, one U.S. official said.
In addition to the upgrades of landing and take-off capabilities at Roosevelt Roads, the U.S. is building out facilities at civilian airports in Puerto Rico and St Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The two U.S. territories sit roughly 500 miles from Venezuela.
Reuters spoke to three U.S. military officials and three maritime experts who said the new construction in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands pointed to preparations that could enable the U.S. military to carry out operations inside Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly alleged that the U.S. is hoping to drive him from power.
The military buildup in the region is the largest unrelated to disaster relief since 1994, when the United States sent two aircraft carriers and more than 20,000 troops to Haiti to take part in “Operation Uphold Democracy.”
Since early September, the United States has carried out at least 14 strikes against alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing 61 people.
The strikes on alleged drug vessels have increased tensions with Venezuela and Colombia and drawn attention to a part of the world that has received limited resources within the U.S. military in recent years.
Asked for comment on the military expansion in the region, the White House said President Donald Trump had promised on the campaign trail to take on the region’s drug cartels.
The U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean began in August with the arrival of warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, fighter jets and spy planes.
The Ford aircraft carrier strike group, with roughly 10,000 troops and dozens of aircraft and weapons systems, is on its way from the Adriatic Sea. One of the Ford’s destroyers cleared Gibraltar on October 29, according to satellite imagery and ship tracking data.
According to Reuters reporting and U.S. officials, the Trump administration, since August, has deployed at least 13 warships, five support vessels, and a nuclear submarine to the region from various naval bases and global deployments — including the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, the largest vessel of its kind.
Eight warships remain in the region, along with supporting vessels.
While the endgame of the massive buildup is not yet clear, the pieces are in place for operations inside Venezuela, something President Donald Trump also suggested.
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