US flew bombers, fighters and drones along Venezuela coast
US flew bombers, fighters and drones along Venezuela coast
Fighter jets, bombers and surveillance drones: the United States military has flown a variety of aircraft along Venezuela's coast in recent weeks, an AFP analysis shows, amid growing fears of conflict between the countries.
Washington has amassed a huge flotilla of warships in the Caribbean as part of what it bills as counter-narcotics efforts, and has since September carried out strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels that have left nearly 90 people dead.
Regional tensions have flared as a result of the strikes and the military buildup, with Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro accusing Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for regime change in Caracas.
According to data from tracking website Flightradar24 analyzed by AFP, two US Navy F/A-18 jets circled the Gulf of Venezuela for more than 40 minutes on Tuesday, approaching within a little over 20 miles of the coast.
Another warplane was also in the air further north at the start of the mission.
The same day, a long-range surveillance drone made repeated passes for several hours along a 500-mile stretch of the Caribbean Sea the first time a drone of that type transmitted a signal in the area in at least a month.
Another high-altitude drone flight took place in the same area on Friday morning.
Additionally, there have also been five flights of B-1 and B-52 bombers and two flights of F/A-18s within 25 miles of the Venezuelan coast between late October and late November.
Other aircraft not included in the data have also been in the skies over the Caribbean for instance, photos released by the US military have showed bombers being accompanied by F-35 stealth jets that did not appear on Flightradar24.
Washington has accused Maduro of leading the alleged "Cartel of the Suns," which it declared a "narco-terrorist" organization last month, and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture.
President Donald Trump told Politico on Monday that Maduro's "days are numbered" and declined to rule out a US ground invasion of Venezuela.
lam-ys/wd/acb
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
