From Strategy to Enforcement: What the U.S. Is Doing in the Caribbean

This is Part II of a three-part series examining the Trump Administration's Venezuela strategy. Part I established why the Western Hemisphere became a U.S. national security priority.  Part III examines the removal of Nicolas Maduro and its implications for the future of Venezuela.

The current U.S. military presence in the Caribbean cannot be understood in isolation. What some observers perceive as a sudden escalation is, in fact, the operational expression of a strategic shift articulated years ago and formalized in the 2025 National Security Strategy. 

From Policy to Force Posture

Operation Southern Spear is the most visible manifestation of this change. Announced shortly after President Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, Southern Spear is led by U.S. Southern Command and the Navy’s Fourth Fleet. While it builds on earlier counter-drug and maritime security efforts, including experimentation with manned and unmanned systems, it has undergone a significant expansion in scope, persistence, and enforcement authority over the past six months.

What the Force Is—and Is Not

The U.S. has now assembled a substantial joint force under Joint Task Force Southern Spear: a carrier strike group, an amphibious ready group with a Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked, supporting surface combatants, special operations elements, and forward-deployed airpower operating from Puerto Rico and regional bases.

This is not an invasion force. It is a control force—designed to deny freedom of movement, disrupt logistics, impose costs, and shape outcomes without occupying territory.

America's Neighborhood: Why the Western Hemisphere Is Now a U.S. National Security Priority

This is Part I of a three-part series examining the Trump Administration's Venezuela strategy. Part II explains how that strategy translated into Operation Southern Spear and the military force posture now in the Caribbean. Part III describes the issues of power transition following the removal of Nicolas Maduro from power.

For decades, U.S. national security strategy treated the Western Hemisphere as largely settled terrain. Serious threats were assumed to lie elsewhere—in Europe, the Middle East, or Asia. Problems closer to home were treated as diplomatic, economic, or law-enforcement matters rather than core security concerns.

That assumption no longer holds.

The Trump Administration's 2025 National Security Strategy marks a clear reprioritization. The Western Hemisphere is now described as America's near strategic environment—a region where instability directly affects U.S. security, public health, and geopolitical influence. Migration, drug trafficking, transnational crime, and foreign state penetration are no longer treated as secondary issues. They are treated as strategic threats.

Trump Accounts: What Families Need to Know Before 2026

The creation of Trump Accounts could be one of the most significant changes to American family finances in a generation. Starting in 2026, every parent and guardian of a child under 18 will be able to open a federally approved, tax-advantaged investment account designed to provide lifelong financial security for their child.

The idea is simple but revolutionary: a universal savings account for children, in some cases partly funded by public or charitable donations, invested exclusively in low-cost U.S. stock market index funds, and kept locked until adulthood. Parents cannot use these accounts for toys, vacations, or emergencies. These accounts aim to create a solid foundation for long-term financial stability and retirement security.

Since these accounts will be activated during the 2025 tax filing cycle, families should familiarize themselves with the rules now, well before the first IRS forms are available in mid-2026.

This guide explains what Trump Accounts are, how they differ from 529 plans and custodial accounts, what families will need to do in 2026, and—crucially—why these accounts can be confidently used as a permanent part of the tax code.