WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels, two sources briefed on the matter said, in a move likely to further inflame tensions in the region.

The advanced fighter jets will be added to an already bristling U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump carries out a campaign pledge to crack down on groups he blames for funneling drugs into the United States.

Friday's development comes three days after U.S. forces attacked a boat that Trump said was carrying "massive amounts of drugs" from Venezuela, killing 11 people. The strike appeared to set the stage for a sustained military campaign in Latin America.

Fighter jets part of larger deploymen

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