US deploys fighter jets to Gulf of Venezuela in closest known approach yet, amid rising tension

The U S deployed two fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela Tuesday marking what appeared to be the closest known approach of military aircraft to Venezuelan airspace to date according to reports The F A- jets were observed on Flightradar flying for roughly minutes over the waters north of Venezuela the Associated Press disclosed A U S defense official speaking on condition of anonymity described the short mission as a routine training flight designed to demonstrate the aircraft's operational reach DAVID MARCUS TRUMP'S AGGRESSION TOWARD VENEZUELA A WARNING TO PUTINThe official also did not disclose whether the jets were armed but did emphasize that the operation remained entirely within international airspace Tuesday's dual flight follows months of heightened U S military activity in the region Although the U S has previously flown B- Stratofortress and B- Lancer bombers along Venezuela s coastline those aircraft did not appear to approach as closely as Tuesday s F A- s MADURO S FORCES FACE RENEWED SCRUTINY AS US TENSIONS RISE A FORTRESS BUILT ON SAND The increase in activity in the region first began after U S strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific The first communicated U S military strike on a vessel that allegedly departed from Venezuela carrying drugs was in September The Trump administration reported the operations were essential to curbing illicit drug trafficking though Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduro continues to deny this Tensions surrounding Venezuelan airspace escalated in November after President Trump instructed airlines to treat the region as effectively closed aligning with FAA warnings to civilian carriers SENATORS VOW PUSH TO PROHIBIT US MILITARY ACTION IN VENEZUELA IF TRUMP PURSUES STRIKES AGAINST THE COUNTRYRetired Rear Adm Mark Montgomery senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center on Cyber and Tool Innovation previously notified Fox News Digital that Venezuela s majority of vital military threat stems from its own air-naval systems Isaias Medina an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat also commented Venezuela's own military s capabilities look better on paper than in reality He stated that included fighter jets limited surface vessels 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 Montgomery commented