The Trump administration’s high-profile operations in the Caribbean, including the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, have so far cost the United States nearly $3 billion, according to independent analyses. The mission, dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve and part of a broader Caribbean buildup called Operation Southern Spear, involved around 60 special forces troops and a massive deployment of naval and air assets, showcasing the US military’s reach and operational capacity.
The capture itself was swift, with troops airlifted into Caracas, engaging security forces, and returning Maduro and Flores to the USS Iwo Jima stationed about 100 miles off the coast. While the White House has touted the operation as efficient and low-cost to taxpayers, experts warn that the cumulative expenses of deploying dozens of Navy ships, aircraft, drones, and support vessels over months have quietly added up to billions. At its peak between mid-November 2025 and mid-January 2026, operational costs reached over $20 million per day.
The centerpiece of the Caribbean operation, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, led a strike group costing an estimated $11.4 million per day. Amphibious ready groups, including the USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale, and USS San Antonio, added roughly $8.6 million daily, with support vessels contributing an additional $1 million per day. Analysts note that this figure excludes intelligence, cyber support, and operational rehearsals. Former Pentagon comptroller Elaine McCusker estimates the total incremental cost for Operation Southern Spear, including Absolute Resolve, has likely reached about $2 billion, with additional expenses from personnel benefits and ordnance replacement bringing the total closer to $3 billion.
Beyond the financial outlay, the operations have caused significant opportunity costs. Many of the deployed vessels and aircraft were originally scheduled for exercises in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific, leaving other regions with fewer available assets. The USS Gerald R. Ford was mid-deployment in the Mediterranean when redirected to the Caribbean, while F-35 jets from the Vermont Air National Guard were diverted from Puerto Rico to the Azores en route to the Middle East.
Pentagon and White House officials have largely declined to provide an official breakdown, with lawmakers expressing frustration over the lack of transparency. Senator Jack Reed noted, “The cost is substantial, obviously, because of the disposition of all of the forces there,” highlighting that while planning and execution saved lives, the scale of resources committed remains unprecedented.
President Trump has emphasized the US intention to maintain control over the country until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” can occur. While the immediate objectives of the Caribbean operations have been achieved, the deployment underscores the financial, strategic, and operational complexities of projecting military power across multiple regions simultaneously.
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