Two U.S. fighter jets conducted a training flight over the Gulf of Venezuela, marking a significant increase in military activity in the region amid rising tensions.
On Tuesday, the United States deployed two fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela, marking what is believed to be the closest known approach of U.S. military aircraft to Venezuelan airspace to date. The F/A-18 jets were tracked on Flightradar24 as they conducted a 30-minute flight over waters north of Venezuela, according to reports from the Associated Press.
A U.S. defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the mission as a “routine training flight” aimed at showcasing the operational reach of the aircraft. The official did not disclose whether the jets were armed but emphasized that the operation was conducted entirely within international airspace.
This dual flight comes amid a backdrop of increased U.S. military activity in the region over the past several months. While the U.S. has previously deployed B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers along Venezuela’s coastline, the recent F/A-18 mission represents a closer approach than those earlier operations.
The uptick in military activity began following U.S. strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific. The first reported U.S. military strike on a vessel allegedly departing from Venezuela with drugs occurred in September. The Trump administration characterized these operations as crucial for combating illicit drug trafficking, a claim that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has consistently denied.
In November, tensions surrounding Venezuelan airspace escalated when President Trump instructed airlines to treat the region as effectively closed, aligning with warnings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to civilian carriers.
Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, previously stated that Venezuela’s most significant military threats stem from its own air and naval systems. This includes fighter jets, limited surface vessels, and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles.
“Reasonably speaking, in the first day or two of a campaign plan, we can eliminate the air and maritime threat to U.S. forces,” Montgomery noted.
Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Venezuela’s military capabilities appear more formidable on paper than they are in practice.
The recent military maneuvers by the U.S. reflect ongoing concerns about the security dynamics in the region, particularly as tensions between the two nations continue to rise.
According to Fox News Digital, the situation remains fluid, with both military and diplomatic developments likely to influence future interactions in the Gulf of Venezuela.