Venezuela reports that five American F-35 fighter jets were detected near the country's Caribbean coast on Thursday, an incident occurring amid escalating tensions following deadly US attacks on boats in the region.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino called the incident a "provocation" by the US and a threat to national security. The aircraft were detected 75 kilometers from Venezuela's coastline, well outside territorial boundaries.
— They are combat aircraft. Combat aircraft that US imperialism has dared to approach the Venezuelan coast, said Padrino in a statement on state television.
The aircraft flew at an altitude of over 10 kilometers at a speed of 400 knots and were detected by air defense systems in the Maiquetía flight information region. A commercial passenger aircraft in the area also reported the observations to air traffic control.
At least five F-35 fighter jets arrived in Puerto Rico in mid-September, where US Marines are conducting amphibious landing exercises. The White House has stated that a total of ten aircraft will be sent to the island.
"Does not intimidate us"
The tensions come after President Trump declared that the US is at war with drug cartels that the White House has classified as terrorist groups. In a confidential intelligence briefing to Congress this week, the administration announced that the US "is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations".
However, the Pentagon has not publicly disclosed which cartels are included in this war declaration, something that according to American media has caused frustration among lawmakers who were briefed.
The Pentagon has conducted three attacks against foreign boats in the Caribbean Sea, where all 17 people on board were killed. At least two of the vessels came from Venezuela.
The attacks occurred outside US territory, and despite the administration's claims that they were legal, no evidence has been presented that the boats were carrying drugs.
— We are watching you, and I want you to know that this does not intimidate us, Padrino continued.
Forced regime change?
Venezuela argues that the American warships deployed in the Caribbean are not primarily aimed at drug enforcement, as the US claims, but at regime change. Democrats in Congress are meanwhile demanding that Trump must seek war authorization from Congress before conducting military operations.
Many analysts also question whether Trump's drug war is really primarily about combating drug trafficking, and the military presence in the Caribbean and repeated attacks on boats from Venezuela are interpreted by critics as preparation for a forced regime change in the country.
The US has long wanted to see President Nicolás Maduro removed, and Washington has previously openly supported opposition forces in Venezuela. By classifying cartels as terrorist organizations and claiming self-defense, the Trump administration creates legal grounds for military operations in the region – without needing to seek Congressional approval for a formal war.
For Venezuela, whose economy has already been severely pressured by American sanctions, the new military aggression is seen as another step in a long-term strategy to destabilize the country.
