Hegseth, Caine Visit Puerto Rico Amid Counternarcotics Push

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Puerto Rico and touched down on an amphibious assault ship deployed to the Caribbean, a fresh show of strength as the US steps up counter-narcotics efforts that have provoked concerns about an attack on Venezuela.

Hegseth delivered a message from President Donald Trump to 300 soldiers at Muñiz Air National Guard Base near San Juan, according to an emailed statement from Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón. The US military is dispatching 10 Marine Corps F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico following an incident in which Venezuelan military jets flew over a US Navy vessel in international waters last week.