TRUMP SENDS F-35S TO CARIBBEAN IN NARCO CRACKDOWN, RAISING BORDER SECURITY STAKES

Reuters reports the U.S. is deploying 10 F-35s to Puerto Rico amid a larger Caribbean buildup targeting narco groups tied by the administration to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. The posture includes at least seven warships and >4,500 personnel, following a lethal strike that killed 11 on a Venezuelan vessel. Officials frame actions as counternarcotics and border security; critics question legal authority and warn of escalation with Caracas.