The agency points out that the United States military's presence in the Caribbean is leading to billions of dollars in expenses. It estimates that the cost of running ships based there from mid-November 2025 to mid-January 2026 exceeded $20 million each day.
Elaine McCusker, a senior fellow at the America Enterprise Institute, told Bloomberg that based on their estimates, Operation Southern Spear, which encompasses Operation Absolute Resolve, has probably cost around $2 billion since August 2025.
This estimate is based on publicly available information and covers only the additional costs related to operating the ships, aircraft, and remotely piloted vehicles involved in the strikes, as well as replacing any munitions that were likely used, according to McCusker. She mentioned that the calculations do not take into account intelligence or targeting data.
The White House had previously said that the operations related to Venezuela did not result in extra costs to taxpayers, as the forces involved were already in use, according to Bloomberg. The Pentagon and the White House did not provide any comments in response to the requests.
source: bloomberg.com
Elaine McCusker, a senior fellow at the America Enterprise Institute, told Bloomberg that based on their estimates, Operation Southern Spear, which encompasses Operation Absolute Resolve, has probably cost around $2 billion since August 2025.
This estimate is based on publicly available information and covers only the additional costs related to operating the ships, aircraft, and remotely piloted vehicles involved in the strikes, as well as replacing any munitions that were likely used, according to McCusker. She mentioned that the calculations do not take into account intelligence or targeting data.
The White House had previously said that the operations related to Venezuela did not result in extra costs to taxpayers, as the forces involved were already in use, according to Bloomberg. The Pentagon and the White House did not provide any comments in response to the requests.
source: bloomberg.com