More F-35s to the Caribbean. An Air National Guard F-35 wing is deploying as part of the Pentagon’s campaign against alleged drug runners off the coast of Latin America. A U.S. official confirmed to Defense One that the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing will be mobilizing for Operation Southern Spear, but did not provide details on the number of F-35As that would be deployed.

Media outlets in Vermont first reported the wing's preparations for a federal mission, and The War Zone confirmed the ties to the Pentagon's military activities in the Caribbean Sea.

The deployment marks the latest increase in U.S. military force as part of the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro. This past week, a U.S. official confirm

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