Two US fighter jets were tracked circling the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday as tensions continue to escalate between the two countries.
The F/A-18 Super Hornets appeared on flight tracking sites near Maracaibo, Venezuela's second-largest city, at around 1 PM (5 PM GMT), before circling the gulf for approximately 40 minutes.
A US defense official informed the Associated Press that the F/A-18 jets had conducted a routine training flight in the area.
This incident comes amid a wave of US strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea, which the White House claims were involved in drug trafficking to the US from Venezuela. Experts have raised questions over the legality of these strikes, which reportedly killed over 80 people.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of using these military operations to instigate unrest and undermine his government.
In a related statement, former President Trump mentioned that Maduro's days in power are numbered, without elaborating on any potential for US troop deployment.
A separate EA-18G Growler jet also appeared just before the F/A-18s on tracking platforms, flying loops just north of Venezuela's coast.
These recent activities follow several unusual US Air Force operations near Venezuela, with B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers also spotted approaching the coast. However, the F/A-18s seem to represent the most direct engagement with the Venezuelan coastline in recent months, reportedly coming within 20 nautical miles of it.
Flight tracking data revealed that the F/A-18s operated under the callsigns RHINO11 and RHINO12, making multiple loops in the Gulf, while the Growler, under codename GRIZZLY2, circled further out.
Experts suggest the flights may be testing Venezuelan defense systems, with former RAF air marshal Greg Bagwell stating that the Growlers were likely listening for signals intelligence, while the Super Hornets provided air defense cover.
The US military presence has intensified in the Caribbean, purportedly to combat drug trafficking, with recent deployments of troops, ships, and aircraft. Photos published by US Southern Command on Tuesday documented the F/A-18 operations from the USS Gerald Ford, America's largest aircraft carrier, currently stationed in the area.
Reports indicate that at least nine military vessels have been deployed to the region, alongside the reactivation of a previously closed airbase in Puerto Rico, now reportedly housing advanced F-35s.
