The Trump administration has secured access to key air bases in the Dominican Republic as part of its expanding campaign against international drug cartels operating in the Caribbean region. This significant development was announced on Wednesday by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during his meeting with Dominican President Luis Abinader at the national palace in Santo Domingo.
Strategic Bases for Anti-Drug Operations
According to President Abinader, the agreement will allow American aircraft to use the San Isidro air base and Las Americas international airport near Santo Domingo for refueling and logistical support operations. The Dominican leader emphasized that this military cooperation would be technical, limited and temporary in nature, specifically designed to address the grave threat posed by narcotics traffickers to his island nation.
Our country faces a real threat, President Abinader stated alongside Secretary Hegseth. That threat does not recognize borders or flags, it destroys families, and it has used our territory as part of its routes for decades.
Largest Regional Deployment in Decades
The base access agreement comes as the Trump administration initiates what officials describe as the largest military deployment in the Caribbean region in decades targeting alleged drug traffickers. This strategic move represents a significant escalation in US efforts to combat the flow of illegal narcotics through Caribbean shipping routes.
The Dominican Republic, famous for its picturesque beach resorts, has long served as a major transshipment hub for drugs destined for markets in the United States and Europe. The new arrangement aims to disrupt these established trafficking networks operating through Caribbean waters.
Broader Regional Security Context
This development occurs just two days after the United States designated Venezuela's so-called Cartel of the Suns as a foreign terrorist organization. American authorities allege this criminal network is operated by senior Venezuelan army officers and led directly by President Nicolas Maduro - accusations that the Venezuelan government strongly denies.
The regional security initiative has seen increased US military presence throughout the Caribbean. On Tuesday, General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, conducted high-level meetings in Trinidad and Tobago focusing on the drug threat. Trinidad's strategic position just off Venezuela's coast has made it increasingly important to the US military buildup, with American warships regularly docking in Port of Spain.
Adding to the regional tension, the USS Gerald R. Ford, recognized as the world's largest aircraft carrier, arrived in Caribbean waters this month. This deployment has fueled speculation about potential US military action against targets inside Venezuela, a possibility that President Trump himself has previously mentioned.
The Washington administration has already conducted numerous strikes against suspected drug vessels in both Caribbean and Pacific waters, resulting in more than 80 casualties. While critics condemn these operations as extra-judicial executions, President Trump has defended them vigorously, asserting that the targeted organizations bear responsibility for hundreds of thousands of American deaths from drug overdoses.
The President has alternated between suggesting plans to expand these strikes to land-based targets and expressing intentions to engage in direct dialogue with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, indicating a complex and evolving approach to the regional drug crisis.
