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

The US 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-18 jets were observed on Flightradar24 flying for roughly 30 minutes over the waters north of Venezuela, the Associated Press reported.

A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the short mission as a “routine training flight” designed to demonstrate the aircraft’s operational reach.

The 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 US military activity in the region.

Although the US has previously flown B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers along Venezuela’s coastline, those aircraft did not appear to approach as closely as Tuesday’s F/A-18s.

The increase in activity in the region first began after US strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific.

The first reported US military strike on a vessel that allegedly departed from Venezuela carrying drugs was in September.

The Trump administration said the operations were essential to curbing illicit drug trafficking, though Venezuelan President Nicolás 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.

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation previously told Fox News Digital that Venezuela’s most significant military threat stems from its own air-naval systems.

He said 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 US forces,” Montgomery said.

Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat, also said Venezuela’s own military capabilities look better on paper than in reality.