Five U.S. F-35B Lightning II fighter jets landed at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, between 10:02 PM and 10:16 PM UTC on September 13th, 2025, establishing the base as a staging area amid escalating maritime tensions with Venezuela. The deployment of these aircraft, which had obscured markings, originated from MCAS Yuma, according to social media reports. Throughout the reporting window, Venezuelan official Jorge RodrĂguez was criticized for his alleged lifestyle amidst national defense preparations. A social media post by TAMARA SUJU on X, dated September 14th, 2025, highlighted a Hublot Big Bang watch purportedly owned by Nicolás Maduro and questioned public financial contributions, stating, "And to you, how much did you pay this month?" These developments follow previous reports detailing Venezuela's accusations of a U.S. Navy unit assaulting its fishing boat "Carmen Rosa" and allegations of U.S. Marines from the USS Jason Dunham assaulting a ship belonging to the Los Soles cartel. RodrĂguez had previously announced that 8 million militiamen are preparing to defend the nation. Opposition figure Macario González, former mayor of Barquisimeto, has also been reported missing as of September 13th, 2025, with a fire breaking out at an establishment in Barquisimeto on the same day.
