The U.S. has reopened Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico as Washington increases its military footprint in the Caribbean amid tensions with Venezuela. Ten F-35s were reportedly deployed to the island, and Pentagon images show a B-52 flying over the USS Gerald R. Ford. The Navy has multiple ships operating in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels have reportedly killed at least 80 people. Senior U.S. officials have briefed the president on a range of options, including possible strikes on land.
U.S. Reactivates Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico amid Rising Caribbean Military Buildup
The U.S. has reopened Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico as Washington increases its military footprint in the Caribbean amid tensions with Venezuela. Ten F-35s were reportedly deployed to the island, and Pentagon images show a B-52 flying over the USS Gerald R. Ford. The Navy has multiple ships operating in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels have reportedly killed at least 80 people. Senior U.S. officials have briefed the president on a range of options, including possible strikes on land.
05:34 AM, 11/15/2025Conflict
Near Ceiba, Puerto Rico — U.S. Naval Base Reopened as Tensions Rise
A U.S. naval facility in Puerto Rico that was closed more than two decades ago has been reactivated as Washington expands its military presence in the Caribbean amid heightened tensions with Venezuela.
Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, which had operated since 1943 and closed in 2004, has been brought back into service and is now reported to be one of five sites on the island where U.S. forces are operating. Puerto Rico remains a strategically important American territory located north of Venezuela.
In early September, a source told CBS News that the United States deployed 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for operations described by officials as targeting drug-trafficking networks. Samuel Rivera Báez, the mayor of Ceiba — the town adjacent to the base — said the jets often wake residents. "Right now, the United States is the most powerful in the world," Báez told CBS News. "Having them here taking care of us, we feel more than safe."
"I feel tense, kind of anxious, not knowing what is going to happen — maybe an attack from someone close,"
New Pentagon imagery released publicly shows a B-52 long-range bomber flying over the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford as the carrier steamed toward the Caribbean. Officials say the flight was a conspicuous demonstration of U.S. military power in the region amid mounting pressure on Venezuela.
A Navy official said that, as of Friday morning, four U.S. military ships were operating in the western Atlantic — including the USS Gerald R. Ford and three guided-missile destroyers — and another seven ships were operating in the Caribbean, including two guided-missile destroyers, two guided-missile cruisers, an amphibious assault ship and two amphibious transport dock ships.
Since early September, U.S. forces have reportedly carried out at least 20 strikes against vessels the White House says were involved in drug trafficking; those strikes have been reported to have killed at least 80 people. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington has publicly opposed over alleged ties to narcotics trafficking, denounced what he described as threats of invasion. "Raise your hand if you want Venezuela to become a Yankee colony," Maduro told a crowd on Thursday.
Multiple sources familiar with White House discussions said senior U.S. military officials briefed President Trump on options for potential operations in Venezuela, including possible strikes on land. Additional meetings took place on Friday, with attendees reported to include Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine. Sources said these discussions represented ongoing high-level deliberations about the U.S. posture in the region.
Reporting notes: The above account summarizes statements made to news organizations and official imagery released by the Pentagon. Some details—such as names of attendees and exact operational plans—are attributed to sources familiar with the discussions and have not been independently confirmed in all cases.