CEIBA, Puerto Rico — As U.S. tensions with Venezuela intensify, so does the American military presence in Puerto Rico.
Local 10 World News Weekend anchor Glenna Milberg traveled to the island to see some of the activity first-hand.
Milberg watched crews load a missile aboard an F-35 stealth fighter jet as Puerto Rico stood center stage as a U.S. military launch pad.
As tensions with Venezuela rise, Puerto Ricans are split over the latest ramp-up.
“It’s very shameful and very upsetting that they are launching any type of invasion of ― military invasion from Puerto Rico,“ said Sonia Santiago, wife and mother of military veterans.
Santiago leads Madres Contra la Guerra — Spanish for “Mothers Against War” — a group whose protests have recently drawn hundreds.
“We are not seeking to be at war with Venezuela, regardless of what the governor says, to promote whatever narrative pays her the most,” said Monisha Rios, who said she’s against the military buildup.
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon has welcomed the increasing U.S. military presence, firmly backing the Trump administration’s stated goal of targeting drug trafficking in the Caribbean.
Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, meanwhile, has accused Gonzalez Colon of leading a potential invasion. The U.S. alleges Maduro is a cartel leader and has placed a $50 million bounty on his head.
U.S. Southern Command released a video of 4,500 Marines now at Camp Santiago in Salinas.
A guided missile cruiser, the USS Lake Erie, is also docked at the Port of Ponce.
Supporters of the growing U.S. military presence consider it a boost for Puerto Rico’s economy.
Resident Roland de Jesus called it an “injection of caffeine into the industry.”
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