The advanced fighter jets will be added to an already bristling US military presence in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump carries out a campaign pledge to crack down on groups he blames for funneling drugs into the United States.
Friday's development comes three days after US forces attacked a boat that Trump said was carrying "massive amounts of drugs" from Venezuela, killing 11 people. The strike appeared to set the stage for a sustained military campaign in Latin America, Reuters reported.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 10 fighter jets are being sent to conduct operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations operating in the southern Caribbean. The planes should arrive in the area by late next week, they said.
The US has deployed warships in the southern Caribbean in recent weeks, with the aim of carrying out Trump's crackdown.