New photos show Marines training in a jungle complex in Puerto Rico amid fears that a US invasion of Venezuela is imminent.
The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit posted a series of photos depicting training operations from late September on its Facebook page over the past few weeks.
Most of the training takes place in the dense Puerto Rican jungle near Camp Santiago — a base owned and operated by the Puerto Rican National Guard. It comes after an expert claimed Trump poses a major national security risk with his “illogical” decision on Venezuela.
Others show videos of training operations, including one that shows Marines loading and firing mortars in an empty field near the tree line.
However, it showed more Marines landing from helicopters, storming beaches in hovercraft from Navy ships, or running tanks across beaches and fields. Some can be seen making their way through the woods, cutting through brush as they make their way toward the exercise mission objectives.
Each post details what the photos or videos show, as well as the location of each exercise. Most are labeled Puerto Rican, while others are labeled Caribbean.
“U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the mission of U.S. Southern Command, operations conducted by the War Department, and the President’s priorities of disrupting illicit drug trafficking and protecting the homeland,” each read. There are dozens.
Part of the troops’ mission is to “beautify” the Cold War-era naval base, which was designed to keep Cuba under control and the Red Scare threat in the Caribbean.
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“Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Battalion Landing Team 3/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), conduct engineering operations to enhance Base Camp Santiago facilities and beautify Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, September 23, 2025,” one post read.
It is noteworthy that Puerto Rico’s lush jungle terrain closely mirrors that of Venezuela, located about 550 miles to the south. Military analysts told the Daily Mail that the similarities are not a coincidence.
“The US is trying to make sure it has adequate infrastructure for anything the president might order,” Mark Montgomery, a retired admiral who spent time in Puerto Rico in the 1980s, told The Mail.
Donald Trump has intensified his rhetoric against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, even implying that he will try to overthrow the country’s authoritarian regime.
The president was asked on Sunday whether Venezuela’s strongman days were numbered. “I think so, yes,” he replied.
Here comes the role of Puerto Rico, as it has a strategic location, if Trump decides to launch an invasion of the South American country.
“If the president wants an aggressive air campaign, or prepositioning air assets for use against Maduro, he will want to have as many forward airfields and logistics sites operational as possible,” Montgomery added.