FREDERIKSTED — As President Trump ramps up his show of force against Venezuela, the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) — a massive Wasp-class amphibious assault ship — is docked at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted this week.
Carrying nearly 4,500 sailors and Marines, along with around 50 jet fighters and helicopters, plus formidable missile launchers and naval guns, the vessel represents a staggering projection of U.S. military might in the region.
The Caribbean has once again become a strategic stage — and all eyes are on what comes next
The USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship designed primarily for expeditionary warfare.
It serves as a floating forward operating base for the U.S. Marine Corps. Its core military purposes include:Amphibious operations and power projection: It can deploy a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) of up to 2,200 Marines, along with their equipment, via embarked helicopters (such as CH-53K King Stallions, MV-22 Ospreys, and AH-1Z Vipers), vertical takeoff aircraft like the F-35B Lightning II, and landing craft for rapid shore assaults.
This enables the ship to support crisis response, humanitarian assistance, or combat landings along coastlines worldwide.
Command and control: As the flagship for an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), it coordinates multi-ship task forces, including destroyers, cruisers, and submarines, for integrated air, surface, and undersea operations.
Regional deterrence and presence
In the Caribbean, its current deployment as part of the Iwo Jima ARG supports U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) missions, such as disrupting illicit drug trafficking, countering transnational criminal organizations, and maintaining freedom of navigation amid geopolitical tensions (e.g., near Venezuela). It also provides a platform for exercises like live-fire drills and amphibious rehearsals.
Regarding its docking at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility (Frederiksted Pier) in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, on November 6, 2025, the visit is officially a scheduled port call for crew rest and recuperation (R&R), expected to last through the weekend until approximately November 10.
This aligns with routine logistics during the ship’s ongoing 2025 deployment in the Caribbean Sea, where it has conducted flight operations, amphibious exercises and hosted SOUTHCOM leadership for personnel visits.
No specific combat operations are publicly tied to this stop, but it enhances U.S. naval readiness in the region, joining other assets like the USS San Antonio (LPD-17).
