US revives Cold War-era Puerto Rico base amid signs of military buildup near Venezuela
The United States is reviving its long-abandoned Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico and upgrading nearby airports in a move that signals renewed military focus on the Caribbean. Investigation found evidence of large-scale construction, new deployments of warships, aircraft and surveillance systems, all within striking distance of Venezuela.
New Delhi: The United States military is upgrading a long-abandoned former Cold War naval base in the Caribbean, a Reuters visual investigation has found, suggesting preparations for sustained operations that could help support possible actions inside Venezuela.
Construction at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico—closed by the Navy in 2004—began on 17 September, with crews clearing and repaving taxiways to the runway, Reuters photos show. Once among the largest US naval stations globally, the base offers strategic positioning and ample space for equipment staging, a US official said.
Moves seen as intimidation
Upgrades extend to civilian airports in Puerto Rico and St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, both roughly 500 miles from Venezuela. Three US military officials and three maritime experts told Reuters these developments indicate preparations for potential operations in Venezuela. President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly claimed the US seeks to oust him.
"All of these things are, I think, are designed to scare the pants off the Maduro regime and the generals around him, with the hope that it will create fissures,” Christopher Hernandez-Roy, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, told Reuters.
Reuters monitored regional US military activity over two months via base photography, satellite imagery, ship and flight tracking and social media. The buildup is the largest unrelated to disaster relief since 1994’s Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti.
Massive buildup follows strikes
Since early September, the US has conducted at least 14 strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing 61 people, heightening tensions with Venezuela and Colombia. The White House cited President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge against drug cartels. "He has taken unprecedented action to stop the scourge of narcoterrorism that has resulted in the needless deaths of innocent Americans,” spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
The buildup began in August with warships, a nuclear submarine, fighter jets, and spy planes. The Ford carrier strike group, carrying 10,000 troops and dozens of aircraft, is en route from the Adriatic; one destroyer cleared Gibraltar on 29 October.
Runway revamp hints escalation
At Roosevelt Roads, taxiway upgrades enable fighter jet and cargo plane use, analysts say. Satellite imagery from 29 October shows 20 new tents near an abandoned hangar. "If your focus is now going to be on Western Hemisphere, it makes perfect sense that you would want to reopen what was once a huge naval station,” Hernandez-Roy added. Rafael Hernandez Airport in Puerto Rico now hosts communications gear, a mobile air traffic control tower, and an ammunition storage facility. St Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport shows apron construction and a new radar system.
At least 13 warships, five support vessels and a submarine have deployed, including the MV Ocean Trader, linked to US Special Forces, and three guided-missile destroyers. Air assets include 10 F-35s, spy planes, B-52 and Lancer bombers flying off Venezuela’s coast, and dozens of C-17 cargo flights. Poseidon P-8A aircraft conducted extensive surveillance. The Pentagon and Puerto Rico’s governor declined comment. While the operation’s ultimate aim remains unclear, Trump last Thursday stated: "The land is going to be next.”