US fighter jets fly closest to Venezuelan airspace in Gulf mission
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According to reports, the United States deployed two warplanes over the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday, marking the closest known approach by military aircraft to Venezuelan airspace to date.
F/A-18 jets were observed on Flightradar24 flying over the waters north of Venezuela for approximately 30 minutes. Associated Press reported.
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 range.
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According to reports, F-18 fighter jets were deployed off the coast of the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday. (Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images))
The official also did not say whether the jets were armed, but emphasized that the operation remained entirely in international airspace.
Tuesday’s bilateral flight follows months of increased US military activities in the region.
Although the United States has previously flown B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers off the Venezuelan coastline, those planes do not appear to be getting as close as Tuesday’s F/A-18s.
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The U.S. military deployed F/A-18 jets near Venezuelan airspace in what defense officials described as routine training to demonstrate operational reach. (Julian Abram Wainwright/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The increase in activity in the region first began after the United States attacked ships allegedly smuggling drugs in both the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific.
The first reported US military attack on a ship allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela took place in September.
Although the Trump administration says the operations are necessary to prevent illegal drug trafficking, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro continues to deny this.
Tensions surrounding Venezuelan airspace escalated in November after President Trump ordered airlines to consider the area effectively closed, in line with FAA warnings to civil carriers.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a ceremonial sword said to belong to independence hero Simon Bolivar during a government-organized civil-military march in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)
Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center for Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, previously told Fox News Digital that Venezuela’s most significant military threat comes from its own air-sea systems.
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These include warplanes, limited surface ships and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles, he said.
“Logically speaking, we can eliminate the air and sea threat to U.S. forces by day one or two of the campaign plan,” Montgomery said.
International lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat Isaias Medina also said Venezuela’s military capabilities look better on paper than they are in reality.
