In a development that underscores escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, reports have emerged of two American fighter jets entering Venezuelan airspace. These jets, identified as F/A-18s from the US Navy, allegedly flew over significant Venezuelan infrastructure.

The incident reportedly took place over the Gulf of Venezuela—a strategically important body of water that lies between Venezuela and Colombia, stretching about 150 miles at its widest. According to the Miami Herald, the jets spent approximately 40 minutes within Venezuelan airspace, commencing their flight around midday on Tuesday.

However, a US defense official has countered these claims, maintaining that the aircraft remained in international airspace throughout their mission. Speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, the official described the operation as a “routine training flight,” similar to past exercises aimed at demonstrating the operational reach of US military aircraft.

While the official did not confirm whether the jets were armed, they emphasized that the flight was not intended as a provocative act. This assurance comes amidst an already strained relationship between the two nations, with the potential for misinterpretation further complicating diplomatic exchanges.

He would not say whether the jets were armed when they approached Venezuela, but said the move was not meant to be provocative.

Yet the jets flew between two major regions for Venezuela’s energy sector – including Lake Maracaibo, the cradle of reserves containing several billion barrels of crude oil, according to the Herald.

The waters are also regularly crossed by oil tankers that load and unload crude oil at refineries in the states of Zulia and Falcon that are key to the domestic fuel market and the nation’s hydrocarbon sector.

The city of Maracaibo in Zulia is also the home to one of the main military air bases in western Venezuela. 

A pair of US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets (like the one pictured) flew over the Gulf of Venezuela and reportedly entered Venezuelan airspace on Tuesday

The move comes as President Donald Trump ramps up military action in the area

The US president has also threatened to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Just one day before the apparent show of force, the Rafael Urdaneta Air Base announced that the general commander of the Venezuelan Air Force visited its facilities to open a new dining room and dormitories.

The ceremony was attended by civil authorities, including Zulia Governor Luis Caldera, a supporter of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime – which Trump has repeatedly threatened to overthrow.

The United States has already deployed an estimated 15,000 to 16,000 troops near Venezuelan waters to pressure Maduro’s regime, and has previously sent B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers to the region, which flew up to and along the coast of Venezuela.

Just last month, the USS Gerald R Ford – the largest aircraft carrier in the world – and some accompanying warships also arrived in the Caribbean as the US military announced its latest in a series of strikes against vessels suspected of transporting drugs. 

The US military has launched 22 strikes on these alleged drug-smuggling vessels in both the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in at least 87 deaths, since early September.

Trump has since warned that land attacks are coming soon, but has not offered any details on location.

The Trump administration has said its actions are a counterdrug operation meant to stop narcotics from flowing to American cities, but some analysts, Venezuelans and the country’s political opposition see them as an escalating pressure tactic against Maduro. 

Critics have also claimed that the Trump administration’s targeted strikes on drug smugglers represent extrajudicial killings.

The US military has launched 22 strikes on these alleged drug-smuggling vessels in both the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in at least 87 deaths, since early September

The Pentagon has yet to release concrete evidence to the public that the vessels were carrying narcotics or posed a threat to the US. And Congress is now threatening to withhold Pentagon funds until it sees unedited videos of the strikes. 

But when asked by Politico this week whether he would consider using force against targets in other Latin American countries with highly active drug trades, the president replied: ‘Sure, I would.’

When he was then asked about the potential to deploy troops to Venezuela, Trump said he didn’t ‘want to rule [it] in or out. 

‘I don’t want to talk to you about military strategy,’ he told the reporter.

Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is continuing to face a barrage of questions for approving strikes on Venezuelan drug ships – especially regarding a now-infamous second strike on the first attack in September that killed two survivors.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (pictured with the president last week) is continuing to face a barrage of questions for approving the strikes on Venezuelan drug ships

The controversy all stems from the strike against a vessel in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration claimed was carrying cocaine en route to the US.

A US missile strike disabled the speedboat and killed most on board. But two survivors were observed clinging to the wreckage and were thought to be attempting to radio for help.

Pentagon officials have justified the administration’s action by arguing the decision to authorize the second strike on September 2 was based on a perceived ongoing threat.

Lawmakers are now demanding to get unedited video from the strikes, but on Tuesday, Hegseth told congressional leaders Tuesday he was still weighing whether to release it. 

He instead provided a classified briefing for congressional leaders alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top national security officials.

The same day, Admiral Alvin Holsey, who will be retiring from US Southern Command in this week, spoke separately with the Republican chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.