Hegseth addresses a formation of U.S. troops at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina, Puerto Rico on Sept. 8, 2025, amid an expanded military buildup in the Caribbean. (Credit: Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón)
Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base, thanking and describing them as "American warriors." The secretary of war also provided affirmation that those serving in the Armed Forces will be the best equipped and prepared in the world.
The visit comes as the U.S. military expands its naval footprint near Venezuela, part of President Donald Trump’s push to choke off drug flows from Latin America.
Naval and air assets have been dispatched to confront traffickers and secure key maritime routes, with some already used this week against alleged
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth greets service members at Muñiz Air Base in Puerto Rico on Sept. 8, 2025, as the U.S. intensifies operations against regional drug traffickers. (Credit: Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón)
Last Tuesday, Marines hit a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea that was allegedly ferrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang smuggling narcotics to the U.S.
While the U.S. military has long worked to counter cartel and international gang organizations beginning in the late 1980s, the strike killed 11 alleged members of
