Two US fighter jets flew over the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday, marking the closest approach of American warplanes to Venezuelan airspace in recent memory. The move comes amid ongoing tensions and a sustained pressure campaign from the United States.
According to publicly available flight tracking data, two US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets conducted a flyover of the Gulf, a body of water bordered by Venezuela with a maximum width of approximately 150 miles. The aircraft reportedly remained over the waters for more than 30 minutes.
A US Department of Defense official confirmed the incident, stating that the aircraft were conducting a “routine training exercise” in the area. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of military operations, declined to confirm whether the jets were armed but emphasized that they remained within international airspace throughout the duration of the flight.
The official likened the training exercise to previous demonstrations intended to showcase the reach and capabilities of US air power. He asserted that the operation was not intended as a provocation.
In the past, the US military has deployed B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers to the region. However, those aircraft typically remained off the Venezuelan coast, without approaching the South American nation’s territory as closely as the F/A-18 fighters did on Tuesday.
This latest development underscores the heightened military activity in the region and further strains relations between the US and Venezuela. The increased presence of US military assets near Venezuelan borders is likely to be interpreted by Caracas as a sign of continued pressure and potential escalation. The situation remains tense, and any miscalculation could have serious consequences.
