VBSS Capabilities
Marines prepare to VBSS
Compass Points - VBSS Capabilities
Marines prepare to VBSS
December 29, 2025
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Does the US Marine Corps need to be redesigned for “naval expeditionary warfare”? Hardly. That is like saying it is necessary to redesign a duck to swim.
Forward deployed US Marines are the Nation’s premier force for naval expeditionary warfare. US Marines today are part of the US armada in the Caribbean. What do US forces need? US forces need greater depth, including magazine depth, equipment depth, forces depth, and capabilities depth.
If current operations in the Caribbean continue, the US will need to rotate ships and forces on station now with new forces. If the conflict turns into a broader shooting war, US forces will need magazine depth of missiles and ammunition.
The US has now established a quarantine around Venezuela.
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U.S. forces are enforcing what the White House calls a maritime “quarantine” around Venezuela, launching warships, aircraft and Marines into the Caribbean as President Donald Trump orders an aggressive crackdown on oil tankers tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
-- Military.com
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The Coast Guard has already begun to conduct Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations on ships off the coast of Venezuela. How many ships can the Coast Guard board? Operational depth is an early issue.
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The U.S. Coast Guard is currently awaiting the arrival of specialist teams before it can potentially board and seize a Venezuela-linked oil tanker that it has been pursuing since Sunday, according to an official and a source familiar with the matter.
The vessel, identified by maritime groups as the Bella 1, has reportedly refused attempts by the Coast Guard to board it.
This complex task will likely fall to one of only two specialist units, known as Maritime Security Response Teams (MSRT), who are trained to board vessels under such circumstances, including by rappelling from helicopters.
-- Independent (UK)
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If the US decides to use military forces in addition to the Coast Guard, the US has operational depth in the Marine Corps. Forward deployed Marine units are trained to conduct a variety of operations, including:
-- Amphibious raids
-- Non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO)
-- Security operations
-- Tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP)
-- Direct action
-- Humanitarian & civic assistance
-- Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS)
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Maritime expeditionary operations by US Marines go back to the very founding of the Corps in 1775. It is disappointing that a recent report in the Federal News Network gets it wrong when claiming that the Marine Corps’ misguided Force Design plan was necessary to “redesign its force for naval expeditionary warfare.” The article compounds its error by erroneously reporting that the Marine Corps “continues to stand up Marine Littoral Regiments.” Not true. The Marine Corps has announced it is halting the creation of Marine Littoral Regiments. Marine Littoral Regiments have badly weakened the Marine Corps by eliminating traditional combined arms regiments and replacing them with smaller, less capable units.
What the Marine Corps needs today is greater depth. Where are the Marine units today prepared now to augment and expand the Marine force in the Caribbean? What Navy amphibious ships are prepared to bring an additional MEU into the Caribbean today or bring a replacement MEU tomorrow? What Navy prepositioning ships are on station in the Caribbean today to provide the equipment and supplies needed by Marine follow-on forces?
In any larger fight with Venezuela in the Caribbean today, much less in a larger fight against more powerful adversaries anywhere around the globe, US Marines will need, not more truncated regiments, but more fully capable combined arms regiments. Over the last six years, Marine Corps senior leaders have stripped away too many combined arms assets, including infantry, artillery, armor, aviation, engineering, snipers and more.
Even 24 months ago, virtually no US military service was focused on operations in the Caribbean, but that is the focus today. The Marine Corps must never allow itself to be focused on just one adversary in one corner of the globe. The Marine Corps is a global crisis response force. Traditionally, from three large, capable Marine Expeditionary Forces, the Marine Corps sends out, augments, and supports the smaller MEU’s.
The 22nd MEU is in the Caribbean today. Tomorrow, the 22nd MEU may lead a landing force, conduct a TRAP, a NEO, or a VBSS. Whatever the mission, the Marines of the 22nd MEU will perform magnificently. While the 22nd MEU is serving the Nation in the Caribbean, however, the Marine Corps leadership needs to get busy reconstituting the combined arms depth needed for sustained operations in the Caribbean and around the world.
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Federal News Network - 12/24/2025
Air Force abandons sweeping reoptimization as Army, Marines push forward with transformation efforts
By Anastasia Obis
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Military.com - 12/26/2025
Caribbean ‘Quarantine’: US Forces Take On Trump’s Oil Tanker Crackdown
By Darius Radzius
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Independent (UK) - 12/24/2025
US Coast Guard unable to seize Venezuela-linked tanker until backup arrives
Earlier this month, Trump ordered a ‘blockade’ of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela
By Idrees Ali, Jonathan Saul & Trevor Hunnicutt
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Fluctus Video - 04/06/2024
Genius Techniques US Marines Use to Board & Capture Suspect Ships at Sea
Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel! In this episode, we shed light on the intense training of the US Marine Corps to build tactics for conducting successful special operations and the execution of raids, visit, board, search, and seizure missions. Additionally, we explore the US Coast Guard’s role in ensuring the safety of both waterways and coastal regions while collaborating with other allies to fight piracy. (approx 15 min)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sExVz7fAJ2U
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The NCA is certainly taking this seriously, but there's nothing I've seen that US Marines are being used to "sense and make sense," or be the "eyes and ears of the joint force," or act as JTACs or Stingray teams. The below article makes me think true national-level assets may be deployed to perform those missions.
Force Design, by being oriented to deny terrain, is ill-suited for strike operations (IMO). I guess an MLR could occupy Margarita Island and deny its use to bad actors, but not by force. Hostilities have already commenced, so there is a real (potential) need to perform a forcible entry.
https://www.twz.com/news-features/cv-22b-osprey-mc-130j-commando-ii-special-ops-aircraft-deploy-to-puerto-rico
CMCs Berger and Smith’s Force Debacle has put the Nation’s Once Reliable 911 Force in Readiness in a “Fecal Sandwich” ! I have no doubt Our Great Marines will Innovate Adapt and Overcome. It reminds me of the Corps’ readiness at the onset of the Korean War when Marine Reserve Infantry, awaiting boot camp, received their basic training while sailing to the war.