Open-source intelligence (OSINT) platforms on X have reported a fresh wave of U.S. strike and support aircraft deploying into the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, signalling a further tightening of Washington’s maritime and air posture around Venezuela. According to OSINT imagery and flight-tracking visuals circulating online, the latest movements include 14 F-35A Lightning II fighters from the Vermont Air National Guard, a detachment of the 921st Contingency Response Squadron operating from Las Américas International Airport in the Dominican Republic, and additional U-28A Draco, EC-130H Compass Call, and MC-130J Commando II aircraft.
These deployments add to what analysts already describe as an unprecedented concentration of U.S. forces in the Caribbean, assembled under Operation Southern Spear. Officially framed by Washington as a counter-narcotics and sanctions-enforcement mission, the scale and composition of the force have led many regional and international observers to view the operation as a coercive instrument aimed at increasing pressure on the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The operation has already seen record numbers of fifth-generation fighters and rare electronic warfare aircraft deployed forward, particularly to Puerto Rico, underscoring a deliberate effort to shape both the physical and electromagnetic battlespace around northern South America.
The OSINT map underpinning the latest reports provides a snapshot of the force posture already in place even before the most recent reinforcements. At sea, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is operating in the Caribbean Sea, bringing with it a full carrier air wing of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets, and a range of rotary-wing assets. Nearby, the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is embarked with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), comprising several thousand Marines, armoured vehicles, artillery, and tilt-rotor and helicopter squadrons capable of rapid power projection ashore.
Supporting these capital ships are multiple guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, alongside at least one nuclear-powered attack submarine. Together, these vessels provide hundreds of vertical launch system (VLS) cells capable of firing Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, long-range anti-air warfare interceptors, and anti-submarine weapons. The same OSINT graphic highlights what it labels a “bomber strike package,” with B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52H Stratofortress bombers cycling from the continental United States into the theatre. This posture has already translated into highly publicised “bomber task force” and “bomber attack demonstration” flights conducted close to Venezuelan airspace in November, widely interpreted as signalling exercises.
Forward airfields in Puerto Rico have emerged as a central pillar of this architecture. Roughly 20 F-35s—a mix of U.S. Air Force F-35A and U.S. Marine Corps F-35B variants—are now operating from the reactivated Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. This represents the largest known concentration of fifth-generation fighters ever deployed on the island.
The latest OSINT update specifies that 14 of these aircraft belong to the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing, known as the “Green Mountain Boys.” Their F-35A variant combines low-observable stealth characteristics, advanced sensor fusion, and a combat radius sufficient to reach deep into Venezuelan territory when operating from Puerto Rican bases. These aircraft augment the F-35B detachment already present, effectively transforming Roosevelt Roads into a high-end strike hub.
From this relatively secure operating environment, U.S. forces can conduct air superiority missions, suppression and destruction of enemy air defences (SEAD/DEAD), intelligence collection, and maritime interdiction support. For Caracas, this forward basing compresses warning times and places critical infrastructure—including air bases, coastal radar installations, and command-and-control nodes—under persistent threat from a platform designed to penetrate sophisticated air defence systems.
The deployment of the 921st Contingency Response Squadron (CRS) to Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport adds a crucial enabling layer to the build-up. The unit, nicknamed the “Dragons,” specialises in rapidly opening, operating, and closing airfields in austere or non-traditional environments. Its mission set includes airfield command and control, security, logistics coordination, and the provision of essential services needed to transform civilian infrastructure into a functioning military base.
Reporting from Dominican media and U.S. military sources suggests the squadron has established a provisional base of operations along runway 17–35, enabling sustained C-17 Globemaster III and other air mobility operations. In the context of Operation Southern Spear, this effectively turns the Dominican Republic into a key logistics and staging node linking mainland U.S. bases, Puerto Rico, and the maritime task force at sea. Such a network would allow for the rapid flow of reinforcements, fuel, and munitions, as well as the sustainment of forces during any prolonged blockade or escalation scenario.
Beyond fighters and logistics enablers, the arrival of specialised Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) aircraft significantly broadens the range of options available to U.S. planners. The U-28A Draco, based on the Pilatus PC-12, is a discreet tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform. Capable of operating from short or unimproved runways, it provides real-time full-motion video, signals intelligence, and targeting data to joint forces ashore and at sea.
The MC-130J Commando II, a heavily modified C-130 variant, is designed for clandestine infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces. It can also conduct low-level, night-time air-to-air refuelling of helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft, enabling deep insertion missions while minimising detection. Forward positioning of such aircraft in the Caribbean gives SOUTHCOM the ability to move special operations teams across the region, support maritime interdiction operations, and conduct covert surveillance without relying exclusively on large, conspicuous platforms.
Perhaps the most strategically significant element of the new deployments is the EC-130H Compass Call. Its arrival in Puerto Rico as a clear signal of an expanding U.S. electronic warfare posture directed toward Venezuela. Built on the C-130 airframe, the EC-130H is dedicated to electronic attack missions, carrying a large crew and a dense array of antennas and transmitters designed to disrupt adversary communications, data links, and selected radar systems across wide areas.
Only a limited number of EC-130H aircraft remain in service as the U.S. Air Force transitions the mission to the next-generation EA-37B, making any forward deployment especially noteworthy. Operating from international airspace, a Compass Call can monitor and, if authorised, interfere with Venezuelan military communications, maritime traffic control networks, and command links used to coordinate responses with external partners such as Russia. When integrated with F-35 sensor data, naval ISR assets, and bomber platforms, the EC-130H becomes a key node in a joint “kill web” that spans the electromagnetic spectrum and kinetic strike capabilities.
The combined build-up goes far beyond the seizure of individual “dark fleet” oil tankers, also highlighted on the OSINT infographic. While U.S. officials continue to frame Operation Southern Spear as a response to narcotics trafficking and sanctions evasion, the density and sophistication of forces now assembled provide Washington with a broad menu of options. These range from sustained maritime interdiction and aerial surveillance to limited precision strikes against Venezuelan military infrastructure.
The presence of a carrier strike group, amphibious forces, long-range bombers, fifth-generation fighters, special operations aircraft, and high-end electronic warfare platforms in a relatively confined theatre also sends a message to external actors. Russia, China, and Iran—all of which have sought closer ties with Caracas in recent years—are being reminded that attempts to use Venezuela as a strategic foothold in the Caribbean will encounter a layered and integrated U.S. response.
At the same time, governments across Latin America are watching with unease as the line between counter-narcotics enforcement and preparations for coercive military action appears increasingly blurred. The arrival of additional F-35As, the establishment of contingency response operations in the Dominican Republic, and the forward positioning of ISR, special operations, and electronic warfare aircraft indicate that the U.S. posture in SOUTHCOM has matured into a sustained, multi-domain strike and support complex.
For Washington, this posture offers flexibility and leverage. For Caracas and the wider region, it raises the deterrent effect—but also the risks of miscalculation—in an already volatile crisis where military signalling and political messaging are becoming ever more tightly intertwined.
