Puerto Rico’s Representative Demands Answers as Military Activity Surges on the Island

Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández is demanding immediate answers from the Pentagon after a spike in unexplained military activity on the island, warning that communities “cannot bear additional uncertainty” as the U.S. increases its forces across the Caribbean.

“Any indication of new military operations in Vieques — whether on the ground or in FAA-controlled airspace — requires a clear and immediate explanation,” Hernández, who represents Puerto Rico in Congress, wrote in a Friday letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that was shared publicly Monday. “The people of Puerto Rico have a right to know, without ambiguity, what operations are being authorized and whether these activities threaten the federally mandated cleanup process.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hernández’s warning followed a string of unannounced developments on the island. Federal aviation officials issued a five-month airspace restriction over Ceiba starting Nov. 1 for “special security reasons.” Local officials also reported military training at Camp Santiago on Nov. 20 and new authorization for ammunition disposal at the former Vieques bombing range. Hernández said Puerto Rico’s government was not notified ahead of any of it.

The nation’s top military officer, Gen. Dan Caine, is visiting Puerto Rico Monday to meet with U.S. troops and sailors supporting operations across the Caribbean.

Caine helped design the ongoing buildup, known as Operation Southern Spear. He is expected to visit at least one Navy ship in the region amid rising tensions with Venezuela and ongoing preparations for potential military action.

For Puerto Rico, the timing has amplified unease. Vieques is in the middle of one of the largest environmental cleanups in the country after decades of Navy bombing exercises. Hernández told the Pentagon that any new activity on or near the island could interfere with that work and must be fully explained.

Hernández asked the Defense Department to clarify why the airspace has been restricted, what operations are underway, whether any new exercises are planned, how ammunition disposal will be handled and why local officials were kept in the dark. He also requested a full briefing for his office.

The Pentagon has not publicly addressed the questions. The U.S. military presence in the Caribbean reaches its highest level in decades. This comes as President Donald Trump weighs potential military action in Venezuela, with the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, F-35 fighters and thousands of personnel positioned across the region.

Hernández said he is working with other lawmakers to press for oversight.