The US military has moved a large number of special-operations aircraft, troops and equipment into the Caribbean as President Trump openly considers military action to oust Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, according to a new report.
At least 10 CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, used by special-operations forces, arrived in the region Monday night from Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, an official told the Wall Street Journal.
C-17 cargo aircraft from Fort Stewart and Fort Campbell Army bases also landed in Puerto Rico the same day, according to flight tracking data reviewed by the paper.
Military personnel and equipment were also transported on planes, a different US official said, although it remains unclear exactly what kind of troops were moved.
Fort Cannon is home to the 27th Special Operations Wing, while the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, an elite U.S. special-ops unit, and the 101st Airborne Division are based at Fort Campbell.
The 27th Special Operations Wing and 160th Special Operations Aviation are specially trained to provide close air and combat support for dangerous infiltration and extraction missions, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The 101st Airborne Division is also based at Fort Campbell and the first battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment is based at Fort Stewart.
Army Rangers are trained to seize airfields to provide cover for specialized forces, such as SEAL Team Six during a targeted kill or capture mission, the paper reported.
The White House and US Department of War have not commented on the recent moves, but Trump has not ruled out airstrikes on Venezuelan soil after a months-long campaign blowing up ships carrying alleged drug traffickers.
“We have a massive armada formed, the biggest we’ve ever had, and by far the biggest we’ve ever had in South America,” he said Monday.
“Soon we will be starting the same program on land,” he added.
The president’s remarks came after US Southern Command shared a video of some of the roughly 2,200 Marines training in the Caribbean this month.
The video showed solider in live-fire drills during “reconnaissance, selection and occupation of position” maneuvers recently and training on first-person-view attack drones in Puerto Rico, as well as conducting flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Sea.
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