The Big Story 

Top Pentagon officials made a surprise trip to Puerto Rico on Monday amid the Trump administration’s push to counter drug cartels in Latin America and the Caribbean Sea.

© Associated Press

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine visited the island territory in a trip announced by Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón (R) in a social media post.

The visit comes after President Trump last week claimed a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean killed 11 drug smugglers. Trump has asserted the vessel was carrying narcotics from Venezuela and headed to the United States. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has denied these accusations. 

The U.S. also in recent weeks has moved forces and lethal assets into the Caribbean, including at least eight warships, an attack submarine, and more than 4,000 sailors and Marines. In addition, 10 F-35s were sent to the island late last week and are reportedly meant to conduct operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations.

 The Pentagon did not announce Hegseth and Caine’s trip in advance and did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill. 

Reuters first reported that the Pentagon is considering plans to use Puerto Rico in its operations against cartels in the region, including possibly conducting military flights out of the U.S. territory.

In her post to the social platform X, González-Colón hinted at the plans by thanking Trump “for recognizing the strategic value Puerto Rico has to the national security of the United States and the fight against drug cartels in our hemisphere, perpetuated by narco-dictator Nicolas Maduro.”

Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to soar after the administration’s purported strike on the vessel carrying an unknown amount of drugs. U.S. officials have not given any evidence of who and what was on the boat at the time of the attack.  

Hegseth, Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said further strikes against drug cartels in Latin America are possible, with Vance on Saturday posting to X that “killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” 

Read the full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Essential Reads 

How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future:

Trump praises West Point group for canceling event honoring Tom Hanks

Paul slams Vance’s ‘despicable’ comments about alleged drug boat strike

Duckworth says DHS fled Navy base near Chicago during visit from Democrats

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

House Intel Democrats launch probe into Trump revocation of security clearances

Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee on Monday launched a probe into the Trump administration’s decision to revoke 37 officials’ security clearances, and questioned the rationale behind listing them publicly. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard last month stripped clearances …

On Our Radar 

Upcoming things we’re watching in and around the defense world: 

What We’re Reading 

News we’ve flagged from other outlets:

Opinions in The Hill 

Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: