WASHINGTON

The US this week sent additional special operations aircraft, along with cargo planes carrying troops and equipment, to the Caribbean as it expands its military options in the region while tensions build up with Venezuela, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Citing a US official, the daily said at least 10 CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which are used by special-operations forces, flew into the region Monday night from Cannon Air Force Base in the state of New Mexico.

According to the report, C-17 cargo aircraft from Fort Stewart and Fort Campbell Army bases arrived Monday in Puerto Rico, according to flight tracking data.

Another US official confirmed that military personnel and equipment were transported on planes, according to the report.

Asked about specific troop movements, a spokesperson for US Southern Command, which is responsible for the US military in Latin America, said such movements were routine and part of standard military practice.

“And as a standard practice, due to operational security concerns, we do not disclose details or comment on U.S. assets or personnel operational movements and activities, nor disclose details of specific operations or routes," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

US President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in recent days, including directing a blockade on oil tankers entering and leaving the nation.

“We have a massive armada formed, the biggest we’ve ever had, and by far the biggest we’ve ever had in South America,” Trump told reporters on Monday. Referring to the possibility of land strikes in Venezuela, he said: “Soon we will be starting the same program on land.”