SAN JUAN — The Department of Defense (DoD) is exploring its medium-term ability to maintain United States Navy ships and personnel in the Caribbean, according to procurement records reviewed by The Latino Newsletter. 

While it’s unclear how long they will stay in the region, experts say it’s another sign that the military buildup in the region as part of the Trump administration’s war on alleged narcotraffickers is not going anywhere in the near future.

Since the Trump administration began moving military assets to the Caribbean in August, Puerto Rico has become a vital part of the military staging ground for possible military actions against Venezuela. While no final decision has been made, senior military officials recently presented President Trump with military options for potential operations in Venezuela, including strikes on land, CBS News reported. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also recently announced a named operation in the Western Hemisphere to combat so-called “narcoterrorists.”

Roosevelt Roads, a long-dormant Cold War-era base in Puerto Rico, has been upgraded as part of this military effort. Almost overnight, the base is active again, with repairs underway, tents sprouting by the dozen, and almost daily flight activity.

Solicitations, contracts, and announcements by the DoD give a peek into how long this activity could continue.

In mid-September, the DoD awarded a nearly $41 million contract to a Michigan-based company for fuel support at the José Aponte de la Torre Airport inside Roosevelt Roads. Other military branches and federal civilian agencies can also use the contract. The contract is for five months and will be completed by February 28, 2026. 

At the same time, the U.S. Navy issued a combined synopsis/solicitation for food catering services for personnel from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit located at José Aponte de la Torre Airport from September 15 to December 31, 2025, according to a publicly available performance of work statement. The work consists of a base period from mid-September until mid-November and an option period from then until the end of the year.

It is unclear if the solicitation has been fulfilled. The U.S. Navy did not respond to a request for comment. The U.S. Marine Corps directed all queries to U.S. Southern Command, which covers military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean. They did not respond.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), under the direction of the DoD, established temporary flight restrictions over a narrow corridor south of the Roosevelt Roads base in Ceiba in late October. This restriction remains in effect until March 31, 2026. It accompanies a previously issued flight restriction in Vieques “to provide a safe environment for munitions destruction operations,” according to El Nuevo Día.

“The amount of capabilities and resources the federal government is mobilizing toward the Caribbean Sea, with Puerto Rico being a key hub for military logistics, provides ample evidence to suggest that these plans are long-term,” Luis Rosario Vélez, international relations and diplomacy expert and professor at Sagrado Corazón University, said. “The exercise of both land and naval drills, as well as the revitalization of bases like Roosevelt Roads and Ramey, points to a revaluation of the region within a new Caribbean geopolitical context.”

Meanwhile, two sources sought for market research notices point to the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) studying the viability of a medium-term stay in the Caribbean. While these notices do not constitute a request for proposals or a commitment by the government, they do indicate that the government is exploring the logistics of maintaining certain military assets in the region. 

The Navy notice, published in late September, says that the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Jacksonville (FLCJ) is looking to identify sources to perform ship repairs on Navy surface ships in U.S territories, including but not limited to Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and San Juan and Ponce in Puerto Rico. 

The DoD did not respond to a request for comment. 

“The natural arc formed by the Greater and Lesser Antilles serves as a border enclosing Venezuelan territorial waters within a geopolitical arc dominated by the United States. Comparing Venezuela's military capabilities to those of the United States, it is unlikely that Venezuelan military exercises or actions could extend beyond its airspace or maritime borders,” Rosario Vélez explained. “Therefore, Puerto Rico's role in a further intensification of military actions against Venezuela would be as a logistical bridge for resupplying and controlling the Caribbean region.”

The DLA notice, published in late October, is for “a potential six-month contract for full-service food support to visiting U.S. Navy Ships,” which may also support other military branches or federally funded customers throughout Puerto Rico. The estimated value of the proposed acquisition for the six months is $6 million, according to a request for information published alongside the notice. 

The DLA did not respond to a request for comment.

Hegseth recently announced Operation Southern Spear to target “narcoterrorists” in the Western Hemisphere. The announcement followed the announcement that the U.S. military had carried out its 20th attack on a maritime vessel in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

“As these tensions escalate without any possibility of dialogue or a political solution, the military presence, especially naval and expeditionary forces, will continue to increase in Puerto Rico,” José Rivera González, international politics expert and professor at Sagrado Corazón University, said. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I feel like Washington and the president find themselves in a position where they can’t back down. And the only thing left for them is to keep increasing the military force in an effort to double down on what I assume is an erratic policy.

Carlos Berríos Polanco is a journalist from Puerto Rico who covers climate, conflict, and their intersection. He is also the Deputy Editor of The Latino Newsletter’s San Juan bureau.

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Catholic Bishops and Immigration: From the Washington Post, “In a rare group statement, America’s Catholic bishops voted nearly unanimously Wednesday to condemn the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants as an attack on ‘God-given human dignity,’ and advocated for ‘meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws.’”

Julio Ricardo Varela edited and published this edition of The Latino Newsletter.

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