A new Marine Corps force has begun operations in the Caribbean as the United States expands its regional military presence during counter-drug missions and escalating pressure on Havana.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
About 1,300 additional U.S. Marines and sailors have begun operating in the Caribbean Sea, expanding the American military footprint in the region as counter-drug operations continue and Washington increases diplomatic and economic pressure on Cuba.
The U.S. Marine Corps said May 29 that Littoral Combat Force-24 had formally taken on its mission as the leading tactical rapid-response force within U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility. The formation is part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and will operate alongside forces already deployed in the region, including elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
The deployment adds another layer to a broader U.S. force presence that has been elevated in the Caribbean since last summer. The buildup came before an ongoing campaign involving lethal strikes and boarding operations aimed at suspected drug traffickers.
Marine officials described Littoral Combat Force-24 as the crisis response element of the larger Marine Air-Ground Task Force assigned to the area. The service said the unit is capable of maritime interdiction operations and that the broader task force can carry out rapid-response missions that include embassy reinforcement and recovery of downed aircrews.
“Littoral Combat Force-24 provides the exact combination of precision capability and interoperability we need,” Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Calvert L. Worth, commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force, said. “They are not just a crisis response force; they provide options to the Combatant Commander and serve as a tool for building partner capacity and securing the advantage across all domains.”
The Marine Corps said the presence of the new force also sends a strategic message.
“The presence of LCF-24 serves as a powerful deterrent against malign state actors and reinforces the security of the homeland,” the service said.
The Caribbean deployment is unfolding during a period of heightened U.S. activity involving both counternarcotics enforcement and regional pressure campaigns. In January, U.S. forces operating in the region carried out a mission to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and bring them to the United States to face criminal charges tied to drug trafficking and terrorism. Maduro and Flores have denied the allegations.
After the Maduro raid, President Donald Trump began intensifying pressure on Havana. He signed an executive order authorizing tariffs on countries that attempt to provide oil to Cuba. The U.S. government has since imposed multiple rounds of economic sanctions targeting Cuban officials and entities.
The pressure campaign widened further in May when the Department of Justice announced criminal indictments against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro and other officials in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two aircraft operated by a Cuban exile group.
The new Marine and Navy deployment places additional U.S. forces near key Caribbean routes as the administration continues using military, diplomatic and economic tools in the region. The Marine Corps said the formation is intended to give commanders more options for crisis response, maritime security and partner support across U.S. Southern Command’s area.