President Donald Trump’s military campaign against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean may soon clash with U.S. humanitarian efforts as Hurricane Melissa rips across Jamaica as one of the most powerful storms on record, according to a report.
Eight warships carrying about 6,000 troops and several dozen aircraft are currently assembled in the region as the Trump administration targets alleged drug smuggling boats with strikes that have killed over 50 people since early September.
Many of the personnel aboard these warships, however, are also trained to respond to natural disasters, and could easily provide assistance as the hurricane is set to be the most powerful storm on record, The Washington Post reported.
Hurricane Melissa, a powerful Category 5 storm, made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday in what forecasters are warning will become an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.” The hurricane has unleashed destructive 185 mph winds and is expected to batter the Caribbean country with up to 30 inches of rain.
While the U.S. has historically provided support to countries in the Caribbean after natural disasters, the Trump administration has slashed billions of dollars in foreign aid and completely dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) since taking office in January.
It remains to be seen if, or how, the U.S. will step in to help Jamaica amidst the devastating storm. The president’s previous responses to hurricanes, specifically Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017, have drawn criticism. While Trump lauded the U.S. response as a success, those close with the president said he had dragged his feet and was reluctant to help Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.
A State Department official speaking anonymously to the Post said the agency has readied emergency relief supplies in six warehouses to be distributed to people affected by the storm.
The official said that a decision to deploy “additional capability will not be made until a need is identified.”
According to the source, the U.S. is capable of providing “lifesaving assistance to affected countries and people across the country when it is in the interest of the United States.”
The U.S. is also capable of helping Jamaica while continuing its alleged counternarcotics mission off the coast of Venezuela, retired Navy officer Bryan Clark told the outlet.
“The question will be: Does the administration take advantage of that, or does it use this as a statement regarding its priorities?” he said. “If it chooses to keep the naval force focused on Venezuela rather than disaster response, it would certainly show how the administration wants to exercise its defense priorities.”
Col. Emanuel Ortiz, a military spokesperson, said the U.S. troops are “well prepared to respond to a range of conditions and scenarios” and were prepared to handle the storm.
Several vessels in the region are specialized with crisis response capabilities, while others are capable of launching helicopters that could airlift supplies or perform air rescue missions.
Similar marine units assisted after hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, after Hurricane Dorian in 2019, after a 2021 earthquake in Haiti and after Typhoon Krathron in the Philippines last year.
“The Marine Corps stands ready if called upon to support,” said Lt. Col. Joshua Benson, a service spokesman, in a statement. “We are manned, trained, and equipped to conduct a wide variety of missions, even on short notice.”
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