The United States has intensified its pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, demonstrated by a recent close military maneuver and hardened rhetoric from President Donald Trump.
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On Tuesday, the US military deployed a pair of Navy F/A-18 fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela. This marks the closest American warplanes have approached the country’s territory in recent years.
- Routine but Significant: A US defense official confirmed the flight was a routine training exercise and that the jets remained in international airspace.
- Scale of Presence: The maneuver is part of the largest regional US military buildup in decades, superseding previous deployments of B-52 and B-1 bombers which had stayed farther offshore.
- Public Attention: The F/A-18s became the most-tracked aircraft on Flightradar24, with users monitoring their flight path near Venezuelan waters in real-time.
Lethal Boat Strikes Draw Congressional Scrutiny
This activity coincides with a controversial US campaign of lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
- High Casualties: Since early September, the campaign has resulted in the deaths of at least 87 people across 22 strikes.
- Scrutiny: The campaign is now facing intense scrutiny from lawmakers, particularly after an incident involving a follow-up strike that killed two survivors.
- Congressional Demand: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed Congress, where lawmakers demanded the release of unedited footage of the boat attacks. Hegseth has not yet decided whether to comply.
- Trump’s Stance: President Trump defended the military actions as necessary to combat cartels, calling it an “armed conflict” with drug traffickers and ominously predicting land attacks are “coming soon.”
Trump Signals Zero Tolerance for Maduro
President Trump further escalated tensions in an interview with Politico, signaling a more aggressive stance toward Caracas.
- Maduro’s Fate: Trump declared that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered.”
- Ground Forces: When pressed on the potential use of American ground troops, Trump refused to rule out the possibility, stating only that he would not disclose military strategy.
