US deploys fighter jets to Gulf of Venezuela in closest known approach yet, amid rising tension
A pair of U.S. fighter jets flew across the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday, reportedly the truest‑to‑date approach of any American aircraft close to that country’s borders—according to the coverage.
The F/A‑18s were visible on Flightradar24, cruising over the northern waters for about half an hour, as the Associated Press noted.
A U.S. defense official, who asked to remain unnamed, called the brief sortie a “routine training flight” that showed the planes’ operational reach. The official didn’t confirm whether the jets were armed but stressed that the mission stayed wholly within international airspace.
The dual flight comes after a surge in U.S. military activity in the area. While B‑52 Stratofortress and B‑1 Lancer bombers have flown along Venezuela’s coast, they haven’t come as close to the borders as the Tuesday F/A‑18s.
This uptick began after the United States struck vessels alleged to be trafficking drugs in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific. The first reported strike on a Venezuelan‑origin drug ship occurred in September. The Trump administration said the operations were crucial for fighting drug smuggling, though President Nicolás Maduro has denied the claim.
Tensions over Venezuelan airspace hit a new high in November when President Trump told airlines to treat the region as effectively closed, echoing FAA advisories to civil carriers.
In a broader assessment, retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, told Fox News Digital that Venezuela’s biggest military risk comes from its own air‑and‑naval forces—fighters, a few surface ships, 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,” he said.
International lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat Isaias Medina also warned that Venezuela’s military strengths look stronger on paper than in reality.
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