The Pentagon continues to build up its military capabilities as part of Operation Southern Spear, which was initially billed as an anti-drug operation but is now clearly aimed at Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Search and rescue aircraft and helicopters have been spotted in Puerto Rico, while KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46 Pegasus tanker flights have been intensified in the Dominican Republic and the US Virgin Islands.

According to The War Zone, HC-130J Combat King IIs and HH-60W Jolly Green Giant IIs from Moody Air Force Base in Georgia have arrived at Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico. These aircraft are designed to rescue crews in combat zones, indicating preparation for operations over hostile territory. In the Dominican Republic, tankers have occupied part of an airport runway, reducing flight times to the region and increasing the intensity of missions. Since September, up to six KC-46s have been reported in the Virgin Islands at any one time.

EA-18G Growlers for electronic warfare were previously deployed to Puerto Rico, and US Air Force F-35As are being deployed to the Caribbean. A US official noted, "This is an expansion of Southern Spear. It's about capabilities and location. If you need support, you want it in a strategic area. The Dominican Republic is not too close, not too far, and it can support multiple aircraft."

Despite this, White House spokesperson Carolyn Leavitt told reporters on Thursday, "A prolonged war is not what the president wants. He is committed to ending the illegal drug trafficking into the United States." Operation Southern Spear, announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 13, is coordinated by U.S. Southern Command and includes elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Strike Group.