U.S. Airpower Network Expands Across Caribbean With Hellfire-Equipped Ghostrider at Its Core

A newly released photograph taken on 1 December 2025 at the reactivated Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba has revealed the most compelling visual evidence yet of a sustained, heavily armed U.S. air presence operating just a short flight from Venezuelan airspace. Captured by Ricardo Arduengo of Reuters, the image shows a U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II taxiing for takeoff while a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship sits parked nearby — an unprecedented pairing in this region since the base was closed in 2004.

The image has rapidly circulated across social media and analytical communities, confirming what earlier reports had only hinted at: the United States has quietly transformed Roosevelt Roads into a forward hub where Marine strike aircraft, special operations gunships, and supporting air assets now operate concurrently, forming what analysts describe as a “ready-on-arrival” strike posture aimed primarily at contingencies involving Venezuela.

A December Image That Confirms a Larger Pattern

The December photograph follows an earlier revelation published by Army Recognition Group on 11 October 2025, which documented an AC-130J Ghostrider in Puerto Rico armed with wing-mounted AGM-114 Hellfire missiles — an unusual loadout almost never seen in the Caribbean theater.

Together, the October and December sightings present a coherent picture:
the United States has deployed a persistent, heavily armed aerial contingent to Puerto Rico, capable of surveillance, interdiction, and precision strikes across the eastern Caribbean.

U.S. officials continue to emphasize “counter-narcotics operations,” but the combination of platforms and the geography leave little doubt that Venezuela remains the strategic focal point.

The Ghostrider: A Precision Firepower Platform in the Caribbean

The AC-130J Ghostrider, the latest and most advanced gunship in the U.S. Air Force inventory, brings a formidable combination of surveillance, firepower, and precision strike capabilities to the Caribbean. Built on the C-130J airframe and equipped with the Precision Strike Package, the aircraft integrates high-performance electro-optical and infrared sensors, secure datalinks, advanced mission consoles, and a pair of side-firing weapons — the 30 mm GAU-23/A cannon and a 105 mm howitzer.

 Beyond these traditional gunship systems, the Ghostrider carries precision munitions on its underwing pylons, including GBU-39 and GBU-69 glide bombs, the AGM-176 Griffin, and significantly, the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. This Hellfire addition, more commonly associated with drones and helicopter gunships, allows the AC-130J crew to engage moving targets with line-of-sight precision, delivering low-yield strikes with minimal collateral risk.

 In the maritime spaces around Venezuela, this transforms the Ghostrider into a slow-flying, sensor-rich platform capable of loitering for hours, identifying threats, and striking without warning.

Why the Hellfire Loadout Matters

The Hellfire-armed configuration of the AC-130J — first documented in Puerto Rico through imagery released in October 2025 — is highly unusual for the Caribbean region. Such a loadout had previously been associated with counter-insurgency missions in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Its appearance in Puerto Rico indicates a shift in mission profile.

Hellfire missiles provide the precision necessary to counter small surface threats, while the Ghostrider’s cannons enable broad area suppression, and its sensor suite allows for detailed maritime and littoral surveillance.

Together, these capabilities give the United States an aircraft optimized for countering fast-attack craft, smuggling boats, militia-style coastal defenses, irregular naval units, and other asymmetric threats in contested sea lanes. In the packed maritime environment surrounding Venezuela, this represents a potent interdiction and deterrence tool.

A Base Quietly Returning to Strategic Relevance

Roosevelt Roads, once the largest U.S. naval installation in the Caribbean, lay dormant for nearly two decades after its closure in 2004. However, a combination of Reuters imagery, commercial satellite analysis, and on-the-ground observations throughout 2025 has revealed a steady and quiet revitalization.

 Newly resurfaced runways and taxiways, expanded apron areas, and fresh construction across former naval facilities point to a broader restoration effort. Increasing numbers of U.S. military aircraft — from tactical jets to transports — have been observed cycling through the base. What initially seemed like limited refurbishment has evolved into a fully functioning forward operating hub.

Today, Roosevelt Roads is hosting Marine AV-8B Harriers, F-35B STOVL jets, V-22 Ospreys, KC-130 tankers, C-17 and C-130 transports, and the AC-130J Ghostrider. Because the base sits on U.S. territory yet lies only minutes from Venezuelan airspace, Washington is able to project power forward without technically deploying forces abroad, avoiding many diplomatic and political complications.

Marine Harriers, F-35Bs, and Ghostriders Operating as an Integrated Package

The AV-8B Harrier II seen in the December photograph belongs to the aviation combat element embarked on the USS Iwo Jima with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and VMM-263. The MEU shifts between flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship and shore-based missions at Roosevelt Roads. This creates a layered and flexible posture that integrates Marine Corps and Air Force aviation into a single operational environment.

Harriers and F-35Bs provide fast-reaction strike capabilities, V-22 Ospreys enable rapid personnel movement, KC-130s support aerial refueling and logistics, and the AC-130J offers persistent surveillance and precision fire support.

In any crisis linked to Venezuela, this combination would give the United States continuous maritime and littoral monitoring, the ability to support Marine landing forces, and the option to use Hellfires or other precision munitions against small or time-sensitive targets — all without the delays associated with major new deployments. The December image makes clear how seamlessly Marine aviation and Air Force special operations aircraft are now sharing the same operational space.

A Wider Caribbean Strategy Taking Shape

Developments at Roosevelt Roads align with a broader U.S. regional posture emerging throughout 2025. Analysts have tracked repeated AC-130J activity in El Salvador, verified by satellite imagery in November, along with greater U.S. Navy presence across the Caribbean and increased logistics flights through Honduras and Colombia.

These activities run parallel to expanded counter-narcotics missions that overlap with Venezuelan maritime corridors. Collectively, the pattern reveals a distributed and networked basing strategy stretching from Central America to Puerto Rico, designed to deter Venezuelan military escalation, monitor illicit maritime routes, and counter external actors — including Russia and Iran — that have deepened their support for Caracas.

While neighboring Caribbean states may see this posture as stabilizing, Venezuelan officials and military strategists almost certainly interpret it as mounting pressure.

A Strategic Signal, Not Just a Technical Curiosity

The repeated documentation of a Hellfire-armed AC-130J Ghostrider in Puerto Rico — once in October and again through the 1 December imagery — signals far more than an unconventional weapons loadout. It underscores a strategic reality: the United States is already in position. Surveillance aircraft, Marine fighters, amphibious forces, and precision gunships are operating from a revitalized base that brings American firepower closer to Venezuela than at any point since the early 2000s.

 Whether the Ghostrider ever launches a missile is secondary. What matters is that the capability exists, is integrated with other assets, and is positioned for immediate use. With the December imagery now public, the evolving U.S. posture in the Caribbean stands out clearly — rebuilt quietly, strengthened significantly, and structured for rapid action without the need for additional deployments.