US Moves Special Operations Aircraft Near Venezuela: ‘Prepositioning For Action’

“They are prepositioning forces to take action,” David Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general and dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday of the ongoing US forces build-up in the southern Caribbean. 

The WSJ commentary further assessed that “The movement of such assets indicates that the administration already has decided on a course of action” – though with President Trump it’s currently anyone’s guess as to precisely what that course of action will be.

The report unveils that a fresh and large number of special-operations aircraft, troops and equipment have surged into the Caribbean this week, over and above the significant amount of assets – including warships and a nuclear powered aircraft carrier – which have already been in place for months.

The additional groups deployed included special forces, described in the following:

At least 10 CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which are used by special-operations forces, flew into the region Monday night from Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, according to an official. C-17 cargo aircraft from Fort Stewart and Fort Campbell Army bases arrived Monday in Puerto Rico, according to flight-tracking data. A different U.S. official confirmed that military personnel and equipment were transported on planes.

It isn’t clear what types of troops and equipment the aircraft were transporting. Cannon is home to the 27th Special Operations Wing, while the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, an elite U.S. special operations unit, and the 101st Airborne Division are based at Fort Campbell. The first battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment is based at Hunter Army Airfield, at Fort Stewart.

An official statement from the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) negated to give specifics on the new units reportedly moving closer to Venezuela, but downplayed the movements as routine and standard.

“It is standard practice to routinely rotate equipment and personnel to any military installation,” said a SOUTHCOM spokesperson to WSJ. “And as a standard practice, due to operational security concerns, we do not disclose details or comment on U.S. assets or personnel operational movements and activities, nor disclose details of specific operations or routes.”

Currently there’s a lot of signaling from Washington, and the purpose of such stories as WSJ’s may be to continue instilling fear in Venezuela’s President Maduro. Of course, the White House is not going to push back at this moment on anything which touts the real threat facing Caracas. The US wants the government to feel the heat and pressure.

Meanwhile…

Venezuela’s military distributing rifles to the people in working-class districts. These militias will form an armed resistance to defend their nation if the US tries to occupy the country. pic.twitter.com/GCn0M3E8Fi

— Ollie Vargas (@Ollie_Vargas_) December 21, 2025

But the endgame remains unknown, and there’s been a good degree of confusion over this – given how long the Pentagon build-up has dragged on. Also given the Ford Carrier Group is positioned near Venezuela, the clock is ticking, and such a deployment is very costly which each passing day.