The U.S. military is upgrading a long-abandoned former Cold War naval base in the Caribbean as part of counter-drug operations that could include action inside Venezuela.
The construction activity at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico – shuttered by the Navy more than 20 years ago – was underway on September 17 when crews began clearing and repaving taxiways leading to the runway, according to photos taken by Reuters.
Until the Navy withdrew from the facility in 2004, Roosevelt Roads was one of the biggest U.S. naval stations in the world. The base occupies a strategic location and offers a large amount of space for gathering equipment, one U.S. official said.
In addition to the upgrades of landing and take-off capabilities at Roosevelt Roads, the U.S. is building out facilities at civilian airports in Puerto Rico and St Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The two U.S. territories sit roughly 800km (500 miles) from Venezuela.
