The top U.S. military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, has visited troops in Puerto Rico, where the United States has built up a formidable force as it seeks to put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Newsweek r eached out to the government of Venezuela by email for comment.

Why It Matters

The U.S. has deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean , along with other warships, thousands of personnel and stealth aircraft. The deployment comes amid a nearly three-month campaign targeting what the Trump administration says are drug-smuggling vessels linked to Venezuela. According to the administration, at least 83 people have been killed since early September.

The military buildup —which includes at least five F-35B fi

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