US builds up forces in Caribbean as officials, experts, ask why

The U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser docks at the Frigate Captain Noel Antonio Rodriguez Justavino Naval Base near the entrance to the Panama Canal, in Panama City, Panama, August 29, 2025. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A large buildup of U.S. naval forces in and around the Southern Caribbean has officials in Caracasand experts in the United States asking: is the move aimed at combating drug cartels, as the Trump administration has suggested, or is it for something else entirely?

Seven U.S. warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, are either in the region or are expected to be there soon, bringing along more than 4,500 sailors and marines.