USAF F-35A fighters from the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing arrived in Puerto Rico on Dec. 20, 2025 for Operation Southern Spear. The jets flew into Roosevelt Roads Naval Station near Ceiba, which now serves as a staging point for the growing U.S. force package in the region. Officials have not released the detachment size or its timeline.
Vermont Air National Guard F-35A arrival at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico
Video and still imagery posted online on Saturday showed F-35As with Vermont markings landing at Roosevelt Roads. According to industry sources, the Vermont unit was the first USAF fighter detachment moved into the Caribbean for Southern Spear, after earlier deployments leaned on Navy and Marine Corps aviation.
The Vermont wing’s mobilization became visible before the jets arrived. Reports from Vermont outlets described advance teams moving early and preparing support equipment at the Puerto Rico site. Roosevelt Roads closed in 2004, yet recent activity indicates the airfield and ramp space are back in use for military movements tied to Southern Spear.
A U.S. Southern Command spokesperson declined to confirm the aircraft movement and pointed to security limits. “Due to operational security concerns, we do not disclose details or comment on U.S. aircraft’s operational movements and activities.”
The F-35A adds a different set of options than the short takeoff variant already tied to Marine Corps units. The Air Force model carries 2,000-pound-class guided weapons internally when needed. It also brings longer unrefueled range than the Marine Corps jet. The aircraft’s sensors and datalinks can support both maritime and overland targeting without external pods.
Operation Southern Spear Caribbean force package with USS Gerald R. Ford and joint air assets
Defense officials confirm Southern Spear as a Department of War mission that aims to disrupt illicit maritime networks across the Western Hemisphere. The operation now draws forces from across the joint team, with Puerto Rico functioning as a hub for aircraft, tankers, and logistics lift.
The USS Gerald R. Ford’s arrival in the region became public earlier this month. The Navy said the carrier reached St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on Dec. 1 while deployed in U.S. Southern Command’s area. The Navy also said the strike group entered the Caribbean on Nov. 16 and took tasking connected to Southern Spear under U.S. Fourth Fleet.
Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, the carrier strike group commander, described the shift in priorities in a Navy release. “The Sailors in our carrier strike group team have been extremely adaptable, taking our U.S. Southern Command tasking as priority number one.”
Air activity tied to the operation has spanned multiple mission types. Reporting and official imagery have shown refueling support, command and control aircraft, and special operations mobility platforms in the theater. The mix suggests a posture built for wide-area coverage rather than a single narrow mission set.
Open-source tracking of E-3, Growler, and Super Hornet flights near Venezuela
Public flight tracking and spotter imagery have highlighted more military aviation near Venezuela’s northern approaches in recent weeks. Observers reported E-3 airborne warning and control sorties operating in international airspace off the coast. Others noted Navy tactical aircraft operating along the outer edge of Venezuelan airspace.
Those sightings provide only a partial view. Many military aircraft do not broadcast publicly visible tracking data for all sorties, and routing can change quickly. Some flights appear on public trackers because crews choose to transmit, not because the full picture is open.
The tempo has still been noticeable, even with gaps. Aircraft types tied to electronic warfare and airborne early warning have appeared alongside fighters, tankers, and remotely piloted systems. Puerto Rico’s location supports short transit times into the northern Caribbean, plus fast turnaround for tanking and maintenance.
Officials continue to keep details tight. The same pattern shows up across Southern Spear, with broad mission language and limited disclosure of day-to-day movements.
Oil tanker boardings and SOUTHCOM maritime interdiction operations linked to Southern Spear
Southern Spear has not stayed limited to surveillance and presence. A U.S. Southern Command press release dated Dec. 15 said Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels in international waters of the Eastern Pacific, with intelligence linking them to narco-trafficking routes.
Separate reporting in mid-December described U.S. action against sanctioned oil shipping tied to Venezuela. A seizure on Dec. 10 involved the tanker M/T Skipper, with U.S. officials describing a sanctions enforcement action at sea. On Dec. 20, reporting and official statements also pointed to a second boarding off Venezuela, framed as an interdiction in international waters.
The F-35A move fits that operational pattern. It supports wider maritime coverage, adds survivable ISR and strike capacity, and gives commanders a fighter that can operate with fewer external stores. Our analysis shows the Air Force deployment to Puerto Rico aligns with a posture built around interdiction support, broad sensing, and rapid response across the Caribbean.
REFERENCE SOURCES
- https://www.twz.com/air/usaf-f-35as-have-arrived-in-the-caribbean
- https://www.twz.com/air/f-35a-joint-strike-fighters-deploying-to-caribbean
- https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/4344883/uss-gerald-r-ford-arrives-in-st-thomas-us-virgin-islands/
- https://www.southcom.mil/News/PressReleases/Article/4360972/lethal-kinetic-strikes-dec-15-2025/
- https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/vermont-air-national-guard-is-heading-to-puerto-rico-to-join-u-s-buildup-in-the-region/
- https://vtdigger.org/2025/12/15/vermont-air-national-guard-headed-to-caribbean-amid-growing-u-s-tensions-with-venezuela/
- https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-administration-seizes-oil-tanker-off-venezuela-coast-us-officials-say-2025-12-10/
- https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-interdicting-sanctioned-vessel-off-venezuelan-coast-officials-say-2025-12-20/
