US Fighter Jets Fly Near Venezuela Amid Intensified Scrutiny Over Deadly Boat Strikes

The US military has flown a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela, marking the closest American warplanes have come to Venezuelan airspace since the start of President Donald Trump's pressure campaign. Public flight-tracking websites revealed that two US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets spent over 30 minutes flying over the Gulf, a body of water bordered by Venezuela. A US defense official confirmed the aircraft conducted a 'routine training flight' and remained in international airspace, stating the exercise was not intended to be provocative. This comes as the US expands its largest regional military presence in decades and continues deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of attempting to force him from office. Meanwhile, the Trump administration faces growing scrutiny from Congress over its boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people since early September.