Two U.S. F-18 fighter jets flying side by side entered Venezuelan airspace around noon on Tuesday and circled over the Gulf of Venezuela in the latest show of force against the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
Although the Venezuelan regime maintains many Russian-made anti-aircraft batteries, the flyover took place less than 100 miles northeast of Maracaibo, Venezuela’s second-largest city. Thousands of Venezuelans tracked the plane online through dedicated tracking websites, watching as it traced a bowtie-shaped pattern over the Gulf.
The fighter jets remained in Venezuelan airspace at an altitude of approximately 25,000 feet for at least 40 minutes before departing the area to the north.
U.S. fighter jets flew between Zulia and Falcon states, two key regions for Venezuela’s energy sector. At 5,000 square miles, Lake Maracaibo is the largest body of fresh water on the African continent and the cradle of billions of barrels of crude oil reserves.
According to flight apps such as FlightRadar24, the flight tracks left by U.S. fighter jets show that they were flying over the northern end of Lake Maracaibo and the waters of the Gulf of Venezuela, just between the city of La Guajira in the state of Zulia and the city of Coro, the capital of Falcon.
The U.S. display comes as Washington continues to build a military presence in the Caribbean, raising tensions with Caracas. Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has accused the Trump administration of preparing “acts of aggression” under the cover of its anti-drug campaign.
Venezuela has responded to what analysts say is the largest U.S. deployment in the region in decades by declaring a state of emergency, activating its armed forces and Bolivarian militias and unveiling what security experts say is one of the most sophisticated (albeit unevenly functioning) air defense networks in Latin America.
The core of the system is a battery of Russian-made S-300VM long-range missiles, believed to be deployed in three battalions to protect Caracas and key industrial corridors.
While it’s unclear where the fighters came from, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is in the area and is capable of carrying dozens of F8E/F Super Hornet fighter jets.
The United States has deployed approximately 15,000 to 16,000 U.S. troops near Venezuelan waters as part of Operation Southern Spear. Washington insists the mission is aimed at curbing drug trafficking. Caracas insists this is a precursor to regime change.
The area that the U.S. jets flew over on Tuesday is particularly important for fishing, and tankers also pass through the waters, loading and unloading crude at refineries in Zulia and Falcon.
Zulia is one of Venezuela’s most populous states and borders Colombia. Falcon, located in northwestern Venezuela and home to the Amuay and Cardón crude oil refineries, is key to the domestic fuel market and the country’s hydrocarbons industry.
The city of Maracaibo is home to Rafael Urdaneta Air Base, one of the main military air bases in western Venezuela.
The commander-in-chief of the Venezuelan Air Force visited the base’s facilities to inaugurate a restaurant and dormitories, the air base announced on its social networks on Monday, in an event attended by civil authorities, including Zulia Governor Luis Caldera, a supporter of Maduro’s government.
The Venezuelan Air Force reported on Friday that it intercepted a “hostile” aircraft that entered the airspace of Apure state, about 259 miles from the capital Caracas. The state’s transponder was turned off, no flight plan was proposed, and it was forced to land by three Venezuelan F16 fighter jets.
A Miami Herald reporter based in Venezuela contributed to this article.
