Off the coast of Venezuela, 800 kilometers away, the US military is reviving a Cold War-era base that has been abandoned for 20 years and carrying out large-scale infrastructure upgrades. Nearby, there are also deployed warships, nuclear submarines, "Lightning" fighter jets, and reconnaissance aircraft, which may be preparing for an upcoming operation against Venezuela!

The US military is conducting a large military gathering in the Caribbean Sea

Facing the continuously tense situation in the Caribbean Sea, Reuters found an important situation through on-site investigation: The US military is reviving and upgrading the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base located in Puerto Rico. The strategic location of the latter is very important and was once one of the largest US bases worldwide. However, after 2004, the US Navy withdrew from here, and since then, this naval base has been closed for over 20 years. But recently, the base has shown new movements. Since September 17, construction workers have started to clear and re-pave the taxiways leading to the base. Analysts said that this move is to prepare for the takeoff and landing of US military aircraft.

In addition to the renovation of the taxiways, satellite images taken on October 29 showed that 20 new tents appeared near the southeast of the runway, close to an abandoned hangar. Analysts told Reuters that the US military might just be repairing potholes on the road, while also restarting the old hangars here, thereby accommodating more military aircraft.

Reuters also found that a busy civilian airport in Puerto Rico has undergone significant changes. By mid-October, the US military had deployed communication equipment and mobile air traffic control towers at this airport. Generally speaking, such designs are usually used in war zones or for coordinating the large number of aircraft landings and takeoffs after disasters.

Additionally, the airport is also building ammunition storage facilities. It is currently unclear what weapons will be stored, but if the aircraft are to take off and fight from here, it would be normal to store air-to-air missiles here.

On the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands, a civilian airport has installed a new radar system. Analysts pointed out that this is likely to further enhance the US military's monitoring capabilities in the Caribbean Sea, supporting the large number of American military aircraft entering the Caribbean Sea.

The US military is reviving the Roosevelt Roads Base in Puerto Rico

At the same time as the base construction, the US military is carrying out the largest deployment in the Caribbean Sea since 1994. Starting in August this year, military aircraft, nuclear submarines, fighter jets, and reconnaissance aircraft have successively arrived here. In addition, the "Ford" aircraft carrier strike group is also heading from the Adriatic Sea to here. Satellite imagery and ship tracking data show that one of the strike group's destroyers has already passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on October 29.

According to Reuters' assessment, since August, the US military has deployed at least 13 warships, 5 support ships, and 1 nuclear submarine to the Caribbean region. Additionally, a former commercial ship named "Ocean Trader" has also appeared in the Caribbean Sea. Experts generally believe that this ship is related to the US special forces and can carry helicopters for special forces landing operations.

In terms of US military aircraft deployment, in addition to the "Ford" carrier carrying 75 military aircraft, the Pentagon also dispatched 10 "Lightning" fighter jets. Reuters also tracked multiple large transport planes flying to the Caribbean region. These planes may be transporting supplies to the warships or delivering weapon systems and drones to the Puerto Rico base.

Additionally, according to aviation tracking data, at least 12 "P-8" patrol planes were active in the Caribbean Sea in October, suspected of collecting a large amount of intelligence.

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are only 800 kilometers away from Venezuela. With the recent large-scale military buildup, it is difficult not to question whether this is related to a potential military action against Venezuela in the future?

Three US military officials and three maritime experts said that the new construction in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands indicates that the US military is enhancing its military delivery capability and strengthening intelligence collection, potentially preparing for actions within Venezuela.

Trump may be conducting military intimidation to pressure change

It is worth noting that in an interview on November 2, Trump tried to downplay the possibility of a war with Venezuela, but he also implied that Maduro's term is about to end.

In a way, this statement by Trump seems to imply a message that he may not choose to go to war, but instead choose "pressure for change." Roy, an expert at a Washington think tank, assessed that the purpose of these actions is to intimidate the Maduro regime and the country's military leaders, hoping to create cracks within them, even a coup!

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7568685266903253556/

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