Fighter jets, bombers, and surveillance drones from the United States have carried out flights close to the Venezuelan coasts in recent weeks, according to an analysis by Agence France-Presse (AFP). These overflights occur in the context of an increased U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, deployed since August to combat drug trafficking.
Details of detected flights
Flightradar24 data reveal that two U.S. Navy F/A-18 aircraft flew over the Gulf of Venezuela for more than 40 minutes on a recent Tuesday, approaching just 35 kilometers from the Venezuelan coasts. That same day, a long-range surveillance drone patrolled an 800-kilometer stretch of the Caribbean Sea for hours. The following Friday, another high-altitude drone flight was recorded in the same area. Between late October and November, B-1 and B-52 bombers, along with more F/A-18s, operated 40 kilometers from the Venezuelan coasts.
Tensions elevated due to anti-narcotics operations
Washington sent a fleet of warships to the Caribbean in August, focused on drug trafficking. In some twenty strikes, the U.S. military eliminated about 87 suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific in early September. This intensification has triggered alarms in the region, with Nicolás Maduro, president of Venezuela, denouncing that the fight against drugs is a pretext to deploy forces seeking to overthrow him and control Venezuelan oil reserves.
Historical context and reactions
Historically, the Venezuelan coasts have been a key route for drug trafficking, with UN reports indicating that 20% of the cocaine heading to the US passes through there. International relations experts, such as think tank analysts in Washington, defend the operations as necessary for hemispheric security, citing a 15% increase in seizures this year. However, Caracas sees these movements as a direct threat, evoking past tensions such as the 2019 oil sanctions. The Venezuelan opposition, meanwhile, urges transparency regarding the flights near the Venezuelan coasts to avoid misunderstandings.
- Key factors: Drug trafficking grows 12% in the Caribbean according to the DEA.
- Maduro’s response: Accuses covert intervention.
- Regional impact: Affects stability in the Atlantic.
These events underline the geopolitical fragility near the Venezuelan coasts, where legitimate operations against crime could escalate into major confrontations if there are no clear diplomatic channels.
