Top U.S. Military Leaders Visit Puerto Rico to Thank Troops Battling Narco-Terror in Caribbean

In a powerful show of force and gratitude, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) David L. Isom are heading to Puerto Rico this Monday to personally thank U.S. troops supporting critical missions in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The visit, confirmed by a Pentagon memo Sunday, marks the second official trip to the U.S. territory since September and highlights the Trump administration’s renewed commitment to national defense and regional stability under Operation Southern Spear a bold military campaign to dismantle narco-terror networks across the Western Hemisphere.

“They will also visit and thank Sailors operating at sea for their dedicated, unwavering service in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” the memo stated.

The leadership team will meet with service members stationed at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina, just outside San Juan, where nearly 300 troops are directly supporting counter-narcotics operations. The visit follows a previous stop by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in September, who praised troops as “American warriors” and pledged to ensure they remain the best-equipped and best-prepared forces in the world.

Since the launch of Operation Southern Spear, the U.S. military has executed a series of lethal strikes against narco-terrorist vessels in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The results are staggering:

• Dozens of drug-smuggling vessels destroyed

• Over 80 suspected narco-terrorists eliminated

• Targeted strikes on Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s ELN

• Major disruption of trafficking routes used by designated foreign terrorist organizations

The campaign began on Sept. 2 with a strike that killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and has continued with precision operations, including one controversial hit on an ELN-affiliated craft that drew criticism from Colombia’s far-left president after three insurgents were killed.

President Donald Trump’s strategy is clear: remove the threats before they reach our borders. His administration has expanded the U.S. naval footprint near Venezuela, sent a message of zero tolerance to narco-terrorists, and launched a new doctrine of unapologetic, America-first military action.

“This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” Hegseth posted on X.

Trump’s national security team is ensuring that America’s southern flank is not only defended it’s on the offensive.

The Puerto Rico visit also serves as a reminder of the island’s critical strategic value, serving as a launch point for operations across the Caribbean and beyond. It’s a stark contrast to the days when Democrats ignored Puerto Rico’s military significance and used it as a political prop.

As narco-terrorist networks grow bolder often working alongside corrupt regimes in Venezuela and criminal elements in Central America the Trump administration is doing what Biden never could leading, striking, and defending with purpose.

This is how you secure borders. This is how you stop cartels. This is how you protect the homeland.

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