Which Countries Are Backing the US Military Build-Up in the Caribbean?

Overview

The United States has increased its military presence across the Caribbean and nearby Pacific-access bases, saying the deployments aim to disrupt drug trafficking and apply pressure on the Venezuelan government. The operation has received varying levels of logistical and diplomatic support from regional governments, from hosting drills and facilities to public political backing.

Who’s cooperating — and how

Trinidad and Tobago

Located just 11 km (7 miles) from Venezuela at the closest point, Trinidad and Tobago has voiced full support for the US operation. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised recent US naval actions and signaled a shift away from the country’s traditional neutrality. After US forces struck an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean, Persad-Bissessar declared strong support for the mission and warned she would permit US access for defensive operations if Venezuela threatened Guyana, a neighboring country with which it has a territorial dispute.

“I, along with most of the country, am happy that the US naval deployment is having success in their mission,” Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said. “I have no sympathy for traffickers.”

In late October the US destroyer USS Gravely conducted drills near Trinidad and Tobago. Venezuela called those exercises a “hostile provocation,” and in response President Nicolás Maduro announced suspension of bilateral gas agreements with the island nation.

Guyana

Guyana quickly endorsed the US deployment and described the operation as part of a “collaborative and integrated approach to tackle transnational organized crime.” Georgetown has pointed to networks such as the so-called Cartel de los Soles as threats to regional peace. While Washington alleges links between elements of Venezuela’s security forces and narcotics trafficking, experts note the group is not a tightly centralized cartel and say it is an oversimplification to claim President Maduro directly leads it.

Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of US Southern Command, visited Guyana recently to discuss regional security and reinforce defense cooperation.

El Salvador

An AC-130J gunship—capable of carrying Hellfire missiles but typically armed with heavy cannons—was photographed at the Comalapa Cooperative Security Base in early November. Imagery showed two cannons on the aircraft’s left side, including a 105mm howitzer. US Southern Command says Comalapa’s coastal location expands operational reach into the Pacific, where significant volumes of cocaine transit en route to the United States.

“Operating from Comalapa offers more options and allows for monitoring and defending a much wider swath of the Pacific Ocean,” said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

President Nayib Bukele has not commented specifically on this deployment; he maintains close ties with former US President Donald Trump.

Panama

US personnel have been conducting training exercises in Panama. President José Raúl Mulino denied that these activities constitute a “hostile act against Venezuela,” saying they fall under bilateral cooperation agreements. Panama, which abolished its armed forces in 1990, has hosted US military drills for decades and signed a memorandum earlier this year authorizing greater US use of air and naval facilities.

Dominican Republic

President Luis Abinader announced stepped-up cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration on anti-drug operations. Dominican authorities reported interceptions of two speedboats carrying suspected cocaine — one seizure of 806 packages off Pedernales and another near 500-package haul — which officials described as supporting Operation Southern Spear, the Pentagon’s name for the regional deployment.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, a self-governing US territory, plays a central logistical role because it hosts the largest number of US military facilities in the Caribbean. Satellite imagery and photos indicate that the once-closed Roosevelt Roads Naval Station is active again, and US Marines have taken part in amphibious landing drills in the archipelago.

Bases and partners with reservations

The US also operates facilities in locations where host governments have voiced opposition to recent moves. The Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in southeastern Cuba remains a longstanding US installation; Havana has condemned the US military’s recent Caribbean activities. Washington maintains an air base in Honduras staffed by military personnel and civilians; Honduran President Xiomara Castro has criticized some US accusations against Venezuela and suggested reassessing US arrangements under certain conditions.

Political backing from South America

Several South American governments have given political endorsement to Washington’s pressure campaign. Ecuador designated the Cartel de los Soles as an “organized crime terrorist group” in August under President Daniel Noboa. Paraguay and Argentina have also labeled the network a terrorist organization, signaling political alignment with US efforts to counter narcotics trafficking linked to Venezuela.

What this means

The US deployment combines maritime patrols, intelligence sharing, and expanded access to regional air and naval facilities. Participating states provide a mix of explicit cooperation and more cautious logistical support. Critics warn that framing the operation primarily as a counter-narcotics effort risks escalating regional tensions with Venezuela, while supporters say enhanced coordination is needed to disrupt transnational criminal networks and the flow of cocaine to global markets.

Operation name: Operation Southern Spear (as referenced by US defense officials).
Key assets observed: USS Gravely drills, AC-130J gunship at Comalapa, reactivation of Roosevelt Roads, multiple drug interdictions.