The USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), an amphibious transport ship, was spotted navigating off the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico near Guayama this Monday, indicating its departure after a recent stop on the island. These images were shared by WarshipCam on social media platform X.
Captured by photographer Hector Antonio Rivera Valentín, the photograph reveals the vessel with military vehicles visible on its deck, cruising through Caribbean waters. The USNI News fleet tracker on the same day recorded the USS Fort Lauderdale in transit, corroborating this sighting.
Part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the USS Fort Lauderdale operates alongside the flagship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and USS San Antonio (LPD-17). This group has been active in the Caribbean since late August 2025 as part of Operation Southern Spear.
This operation, noted as the most significant U.S. military deployment in the region since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, involves over 4,500 sailors and Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC) based in Camp Lejeune. Their stated missions include disrupting illegal drug trafficking, intercepting Venezuela-sanctioned oil shipments to Cuba, and deterring hostile entities in the Western Hemisphere.
The estimated cost of this deployment is around $3 billion, with peaks reaching up to $20 million daily.
Puerto Rico has served as a strategic operational base and a frequent stopover for the group. The USS Fort Lauderdale visited the Port of Ponce in November 2025 and returned from January 6th to 11th, 2026, for a six-day stay.
The vessel has also been engaged in extensive training activities in the region. On February 26, 2026, sailors from the Iwo Jima Amphibious Group conducted live-fire exercises with M4 carbines on its flight deck while navigating the Caribbean Sea, as shared on their social media.
Earlier, on February 7th, Marines carried out maritime interdiction drills, descending rapidly from UH-1Y Venom helicopters onto the USS Fort Lauderdale.
On May 6th, just days before being sighted near Guayama, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) released images of an MV-22B Osprey from the 22nd MEU landing on the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean, confirming the group's ongoing activities in the region.
One of the most notable operations during this deployment was the capture of the tanker Verónica on January 15, 2026, in international waters, marking the sixth interdiction of a dark fleet vessel under Operation Southern Spear.
The official page of the USS Fort Lauderdale described the group's mission as follows: "U.S. military forces are deployed in the Caribbean in support of the Southern Command's mission, Department of Defense-directed operations, and presidential priorities to disrupt illegal drug trafficking and safeguard the homeland."
Key Information About USS Fort Lauderdale's Deployment
What is the purpose of Operation Southern Spear?
Operation Southern Spear aims to disrupt illegal drug trafficking, intercept Venezuela-sanctioned oil shipments to Cuba, and deter hostile activities in the Western Hemisphere.
How significant is the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean?
The deployment is considered the largest U.S. military presence in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, involving over 4,500 personnel from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.