There are now around 10,000 U.S. forces supporting counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, a Pentagon official told The Hill on Thursday, a substantial military buildup as the Trump administration ramps up its campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The majority of service members in the region are based in Puerto Rico, while Marines in the area are on ships. The Navy has eight ships in the Caribbean, along with one submarine.

The Hill has reached out to U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) for comment.

The ramped-up military presence in the Caribbean Sea comes as the U.S. military has conducted five strikes against boats off the coast of Venezuela, which the administration said were smuggling drugs, killing 27 people.

On Wednesday, President Trump

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