Trump evaluates reopening base at Roosevelt Roads

The former U.S. Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, located in Ceiba on Puerto Rico’s eastern coast and once one of the largest U.S. naval bases in the world, boasts a large-scale airfield and deep-water port facilities. (rooseveltroads.pr.gov)

By THE STAR STAFF

As the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on suspected narco-terrorists in the Caribbean, the shuttered U.S. Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba could be poised for a strategic revival, according to The Center Square publication.

During a White House roundtable held late last week focused on crime and national security, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told The Center Square about the potential expansion of naval operations in the region -- including the possibility of reactivating Roosevelt Roads, a base closed in 2004 under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Already, the military has been using the base for military practices and other maneuvers.

Roosevelt Roads, located on Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, boasts a large-scale airfield and deep-water port facilities. Its proximity -- less than 600 miles from Venezuela -- makes it a potentially vital asset in countering regional threats, federal officials have noted. The base’s origins date back to 1919, when Franklin D. Roosevelt, then assistant secretary of the Navy, identified Ceiba as a strategic location. It was officially named in 1941 and commissioned in 1943. Over the decades, Roosevelt Roads grew into one of the largest U.S. naval facilities in the world, playing a key role during Cold War operations and regional exercises. However, amid growing protests over military practices in nearby Vieques, the base was closed in 2004, resulting in significant economic disruption.

Since then, the site has been partially repurposed as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, though redevelopment efforts have stalled. Recent sightings of military aircraft operating from the site suggest renewed strategic interest, though no formal reopening has been announced. The STAR inquired about the status of proposed projects at the defunct base but obtained no response.

While Hegseth did not confirm plans to reopen the base, he acknowledged its strategic relevance.

“We’re familiar with the location you’re referring to,” he told The Center Square. “We’ll make sure we’re properly placed to deal with the contingencies there and any ways in which other countries might attempt to get involved.”

Hegseth emphasized the administration’s focus on confronting narco-terrorist networks and foreign influence in the Western Hemisphere.

“Sending a message to these cartels is important,” he said. “For far too long, other presidents have ignored our own backyard, allowing adversaries to gain influence that threatens the American people. We’re changing that.”

Trump echoed the sentiment, expressing openness to military expansion.

“This is a good time to expand if we want to do it -- and I think we should, and probably will,” he said, touting record military recruitment and the need to counter growing threats, particularly from China’s expanding naval fleet.

The administration’s concerns are underscored by Venezuela’s recent military cooperation with Russia, China and Iran. In 2022, Venezuela hosted joint drills with all three nations, raising alarms about adversarial influence in Latin America.

A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warns that Latin America is increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical maneuvering by Russia and Iran. The region, the CSIS notes, offers fertile ground for anti-U.S. sentiment and could serve as a staging area for military cooperation, economic circumvention of sanctions, and even support for militant groups like Hezbollah.

Just hours after the roundtable, Hegseth announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the first ship in a new class of aircraft carriers , and its escorts -- five guided-missile destroyers, according to reports -- would shift from the Mediterranean to the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility to support counter-drug operations. According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the move will “bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities” in the region.

The deployment marks the Pentagon’s 10th strike on suspected narco-terrorist operations originating from Venezuela and Colombia, including the use of boats and submersibles.