--- title: "4,500 Marines and sailors deploy to Caribbean for anti-cartel mission" description: "The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are going to the southern Caribbean in a show of force." date: "2025-08-18" modified: "2025-08-18" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-marine-anti-cartel-mission/" categories: - "Marine Corps" - "Military Branches" - "Navy" - "News" --- # 4,500 Marines and sailors deploy to Caribbean for anti-cartel mission ![U.S. Marines with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), and U.S. Navy sailors with the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17), Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, prepare to depart for deployment during a man the rails ceremony aboard the San Antonio while in port at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, August 14, 2025. This ceremony signifies that the IWO ARG and 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) are officially underway for their regularly scheduled deployment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Maurion Moore)]() *The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit are going to the southern Caribbean in a show of force. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Maurion Moore.* The Navy and Marine Corps deployed thousands of sailors and Marines to the southern Caribbean on Friday in support of anti-drug cartel operations. The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit set sail out of Naval Station Norfolk on Aug. 14. The force includes more than 4,500 sailors and Marines on three ships: The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, the USS Iwo Jima, and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships the USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale. The Navy described it as a “regularly scheduled deployment” and did not specify where it would be heading or for what purpose. However, [Reuters]() and [CNN]() both reported, citing defense officials familiar with the operation, that the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is heading to the southern Caribbean as part of anti-drug trafficking efforts. A defense official familiar with the situation confirmed those reports to Task & Purpose. The Iwo Jima ARG and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are part of a wider repositioning of air and naval forces to the waters around Latin America in a show of force. In addition to the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group’s ships and air power — including AV-8B Harriers and rotary aircraft — P-8 Poseidon spy planes, a submarine, and a warship are set to head to the region as part of that effort, per Reuters. “The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) provides a flexible sea-based Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) capable of conducting amphibious operations and designated special operations to meet Combatant Commander’s requirements,” a Marine official said in a statement to Task & Purpose when asked about the nature of the deployment. As [USNI News]() noted, this is the first time an amphibious ready group with embarked Marines has deployed since December. The area is currently in hurricane season, with the Category 4 Hurricane Erin moving north through the area. It’s unclear if that will delay or impact the journey to the southern Caribbean. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump [signed a directive]() ordering the Pentagon to come up with options for military action against drug cartels that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations, according to [multiple reports](). It is unclear if the Iwo Jima ARG and 22nd MEU have specific operations to conduct or will be in the area simply as a show of force and contingency. ***CORRECTION: 8/19/2026;** The 22nd MEU is operating AV-8B Harriers, not F-35s.* ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()