Top military leaders head to Puerto Rico to thank troops supporting Caribbean missions
On November 24, 2025, two of the U.S. military’s top leaders, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman David L. Isom, will visit Puerto Rico to meet with service members and acknowledge their contributions to missions across the Caribbean and Latin America. This visit, announced by Pentagon officials, marks the second time these leaders have engaged with troops on the island, following an earlier trip in September that included Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Their mission is to reinforce the commitment of the U.S. military to regional stability and express gratitude for the unwavering dedication of service members stationed in Puerto Rico and those operating at sea within the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.
The backdrop of this visit is significant, as it comes amid escalating tensions in the Caribbean, particularly concerning U.S. military operations aimed at curtailing drug trafficking from Latin America. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. has intensified its naval presence near Venezuela as part of a broader strategy to combat drug flows and dismantle narco-terror networks. This effort has been highlighted by the recent launch of Operation Southern Spear, which aims to target these networks and secure the homeland from the impacts of drug-related violence. Since the operation’s initiation in early September, U.S. forces have conducted numerous strikes against narcotics vessels linked to designated terrorist organizations, resulting in the elimination of many suspected narco-terrorists and the destruction of various trafficking vessels.
The military’s activities in the region have included targeted strikes against vessels affiliated with notorious groups such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN). These operations have not only aimed to disrupt drug trafficking but also to protect the U.S. from the influx of narcotics that have been devastating communities. As General Caine and SEAC Isom meet with service members in Puerto Rico, they will emphasize the importance of their mission in maintaining regional security and the critical role they play in the fight against narco-terrorism. This visit underscores the U.S. military’s ongoing commitment to supporting its personnel and enhancing operational readiness in a complex and challenging environment.
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Two of the U.S. military’s top leaders will visit
Puerto Rico
on Monday to meet with troops and express gratitude for their work supporting missions across the Caribbean and Latin America.
Pentagon officials announced the visit in a memo on Sunday, saying the trip will include meetings with service members stationed 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, for the second time to engage with service members and thank them for their outstanding support to regional missions,” the media advisory read. “They will also visit and thank Sailors operating at sea for their dedicated, unwavering service in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
Caine and Secretary of War
Pete Hegseth
marked the first visit in September, when they stopped by on behalf of the Trump administration to show support for troops training on the island.
SECRETARY OF WAR HEGSETH LANDS IN PUERTO RICO AS US RAMPS UP CARIBBEAN CARTEL FIGHT WITH NAVAL FORCES
The meeting took place at
Muñiz Air Base in Carolina
, outside San Juan, and drew top brass, including Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General Carlos José Rivera-Román, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, and other senior military leaders.
Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base, thanking and describing them as “American warriors.” The secretary of war also affirmed that those serving in the armed forces will be the best equipped and prepared in the world.
The latest visit comes amid rising tensions in the Caribbean Sea, as the
U.S. military expands its naval footprint near Venezuela
, part of President Donald Trump’s push to choke off drug flows from Latin America.
SOUTHCOM COMMANDER ANNOUNCES SUDDEN RETIREMENT AMID TRUMP DRUG WAR IN CARIBBEAN
Earlier this month, Hegseth announced the official launch of
Operation Southern Spear
, a mission targeting narco-terror networks across Latin America.
Hegseth said on X at the time that
U.S. Southern Command
and Joint Task Force Southern Spear will lead the mission to defend the homeland and dismantle narco-terrorist networks across 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 REMOVE ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS FROM OUR HEMISPHERE’
Since early September, U.S. military forces have carried out numerous lethal
strikes against narcotics vessels
operated by designated terrorist organizations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, destroying dozens of ships tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional. The attacks have killed an estimated 82 suspected narco-terrorists, with three survivors.
The campaign began Sept. 2 with a strike that killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and continued through October and November with a series of targeted operations that eliminated dozens more across known trafficking routes.
U.S. forces have hit submersibles, fishing boats and high-speed vessels, including one ELN-affiliated craft that drew criticism from Colombia’s president after three men were killed.
Several strikes took place near Venezuela’s coast, while others occurred in the eastern Pacific, where most recent operations have been concentrated.
