In a bold and unannounced move, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine touched down in Puerto Rico on Monday, marking the first visit by top Pentagon brass since President Donald Trump began a significant military buildup in the Caribbean.
While the Pentagon offered no official statement, Puerto Rico’s Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez posted images of the meeting on X, expressing gratitude to President Trump for acknowledging the island’s strategic importance in the fight against drug trafficking.
“We thank @POTUS Trump and his Administration 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,” Gonzalez said.
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary of WAR Pete Hegseth has just arrived in Puerto Rico, where President Trump has deployed fighter jets to take on Venezuelan cartels
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 8, 2025
This was an unannounced trip.
Cartels are about to learn why our defense budget is closing in on $1 trillion 🤣 pic.twitter.com/uh8WImtbEo
Trump's campaign to secure the hemisphere against cartel activity and narco-trafficking regimes like Venezuela is picking up pace. Last week, a U.S. military strike sank a boat from Venezuela allegedly carrying narcotics, killing 11 on board. Maduro, facing mounting pressure, claims the U.S. wants regime change—an idea Trump has brushed aside as speculation.
President Trump has ordered 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a larger deployment aimed at shutting down drug routes used by violent transnational gangs. On top of that, Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are currently conducting amphibious assault and flight drills on the island.
The administration is going further than just troop movements. President Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to formally rename itself the Department of War—a historic nod that would change Secretary Hegseth’s title to "Secretary of War." Signs at the Pentagon have reportedly already been updated to reflect the shift, even before Congress has had its say.
With a defense budget approaching $1 trillion and a Commander-in-Chief focused on action, both cartels and rogue regimes like Maduro’s are being put on notice.