US Marines stage amphibious assault exercises in Puerto Rico
3 Min Read
The US Marine Corps has conducted landing and infiltration drills in Puerto Rico as Washington intensifies its Caribbean military presence.
-
Members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit disembark from a UH-1Y transport helicopter in simulated infiltration attacks, in Puerto Rico, as seen in this screen grab from a video posted on November 1, 2025 (X/@Southcom)
The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Saturday that the US Marine Corps recently carried out training exercises on Puerto Rican soil, including amphibious landings and infiltration maneuvers, highlighting Washington’s growing military footprint in the Caribbean and escalating fears of a potential attack on Venezuela.
SOUTHCOM shared a video on its X, showing the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting “training operations in Puerto Rico.”
The footage depicts an LCAC, a large hovercraft designed to transport troops, vehicles, and equipment, performing an amphibious landing under the cover of UH-1Y transport helicopters. Apache attack helicopters provided aerial support as Marines disembarked and advanced inland.
Ready for rapid response: U.S. Marines with the @22nd_MEU conduct training operations in Puerto Rico. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the #SOUTHCOM mission, @DeptofWar-directed operations, and @POTUS' priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking… pic.twitter.com/cxClR61U3X
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) November 1, 2025
SOUTHCOM said that US forces are deployed in the region to support the directed operations of the Pentagon and Trump's priorities to “disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”
Squads were seen maneuvering in Polaris MRZR vehicles, lightweight all-terrain transports built for rugged environments, securing firing positions and practicing infiltration exercises. The drills come as the Pentagon reinforces a military deployment initiated earlier this summer in Caribbean waters off Venezuela, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier.
Read more: Maduro: War on Venezuela aims at regime change and oil theft
Allegations against Venezuela falter
In recent weeks, US forces have reportedly targeted 15 vessels, which it claims, with no evidence, are involved in drug trafficking, with most occupants killed. Despite the escalation, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied on Friday that Washington is preparing any attack on Venezuela.
The United States initiated its aggressive interference in the region by committing swaths of forces, including a carrier strike group. On September  2, the US launched its first drone strike on a boat in the Caribbean, killing 11 people.
Since then, Washington continues to accuse Maduro and Caracas of leading drug-trafficking and of "invading" the US with migrants. On the other hand, intelligence reports showed that drug-trafficking claims were false, while Maduro pointed to US-funded advertisements throughout Latin American media, encouraging Venezuelan migration.
In one case, Dropsite News reported that a grant required a Colombian newspaper, El País, to "document and make visible success stories of migrants accessing the formal market, using formats and media regularly consulted by business groups."
