The United States has begun restoring the defunct Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, nearly 20 years after its closure, signalling possible preparations for operations in the region.
Satellite images show construction crews clearing and resurfacing taxiways leading to the runway.
In addition to Roosevelt Roads, the US is upgrading facilities at civilian airports in Puerto Rico and St.
Croix in the US Virgin Islands, both roughly 500–800 km from Venezuela.
Three US military officials and three naval experts told Reuters that these moves are likely intended to increase pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s regime and could support missions tied to drug-trafficking interdictions or regime-change operations.
The resurfacing of former naval infrastructure combined with a broader military build-up in the Caribbean marks a significant expansion of US strategic posture near Venezuela.
