The sight from Puerto Rico’s southern coast was surreal. Off the usually tranquil shores of Arroyo and Guayanilla, beachgoers watched in disbelief as helicopters whirred and the USS Iwo Jima , an amphibious assault ship, appeared from nowhere. Many scrolled through their phones for information, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

The Marines began large-scale amphibious warfare maneuvers, disembarking hundreds of troops around August 31, 2025 , as part of a U.S. military buildup amid rising tensions with Venezuela. Puerto Rico now hosts approximately 10,000 troops, including Marine Corps F-35 fighter jets, Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones, a range of surveillance aircraft and support personnel. Officials in Washington have described the activity as “regional readiness,” w

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