Two of the U.S. military’s highest-ranking officers are scheduled to be in Puerto Rico on Monday to meet with military personnel and offer their appreciation for their efforts in support of missions throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
Pentagon officials made the announcement of the trip via a memo released on Sunday, stating that the itinerary includes meetings with service members based in Puerto Rico and sailors operating in the Caribbean.
“Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and SEAC David L. Isom are visiting Puerto Rico on November 24, 2025, marking their second visit to connect with service members and express gratitude for their exceptional support of missions in the region,” the media advisory stated. “They will also visit and thank Sailors who are operating at sea for their dedicated, unwavering service within the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
Caine and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth previously visited in September, stopping by on behalf of the Trump administration to demonstrate support for troops undergoing training on the island.
SECRETARY OF WAR HEGSETH ARRIVES IN PUERTO RICO AS U.S. ESCALATES CARIBBEAN CARTEL COMBAT WITH NAVAL ASSETS
The meeting occurred at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina, near San Juan, and attracted high-ranking officials, including Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General Carlos José Rivera-Román, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, and other prominent military figures.
Hegseth addressed almost 300 soldiers at the base, expressing his gratitude and referring to them as “American warriors.” The secretary of war also confirmed that those serving in the Armed Forces will be the best-equipped and prepared worldwide.
The latest visit is happening during a period of heightened tensions in the Caribbean Sea, as the U.S. military increases its naval presence near Venezuela, as part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to suppress drug trafficking from Latin America.
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Earlier in the month, Hegseth announced the formal commencement of Operation Southern Spear, a mission aimed at narco-terror networks across Latin America.
Hegseth stated on X at the time that U.S. Southern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Spear will spearhead the mission to protect the homeland and dismantle narco-terrorist networks throughout the Western Hemisphere.
“This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” Hegseth said.
HEGSETH ANNOUNCES OPERATION TO ELIMINATE ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS FROM OUR HEMISPHERE’
Since early September, U.S. military forces have conducted numerous deadly strikes against narcotics vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, destroying numerous ships linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional. The attacks have resulted in an estimated 82 fatalities among suspected narco-terrorists, with three survivors.
The campaign was initiated on Sept. 2 with a strike that resulted in the deaths of 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and persisted through October and November with a series of focused operations that eliminated dozens more along known trafficking routes.
U.S. forces have targeted submersibles, fishing boats, and high-speed vessels, including one ELN-affiliated craft that provoked criticism from Colombia’s president after three men were killed.
Several strikes occurred near Venezuela’s coast, while others took place in the eastern Pacific, where the most recent operations have been concentrated.
