On Tuesday, the U.S. deployed over the Gulf of Venezuela—an action that seemed to mark the closest known military aircraft approach to Venezuelan airspace to date, according to reports.
Flightradar24 data showed the F/A-18 jets flying for roughly 30 minutes above the waters north of Venezuela, the reported.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, characterized the brief mission as a “routine training flight” intended to demonstrate the aircraft’s operational reach.
The official also declined to disclose whether the jets were armed but emphasized that the operation remained entirely within international airspace.
Tuesday’s dual flight follows months of heightened in the region.
While the U.S. has previously flown B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers along Venezuela’s coastline, those aircraft did not appear to approach as closely as Tuesday’s F/A-18s.
The increase in regional activity first began after in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific.
The first reported U.S. military strike on a vessel allegedly departing Venezuela with drugs occurred in September.
The stated the operations were essential to curbing illicit drug trafficking, though Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro continues to deny this.
Tensions around Venezuelan airspace escalated in November after President declared the region effectively closed, aligning with FAA warnings to civilian carriers.
Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, previously told Digital that Venezuela’s most significant military threat stems from its own air-naval systems.
He noted this included fighter jets, limited , and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles.
“Realistically, within the first day or two of a campaign plan, we can eliminate the air and maritime threat to U.S. forces,” Montgomery said.
Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat, also said Venezuela’s own look better on paper than in reality.