For the first time, two US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets flew deep into the Gulf of Venezuela, the body of water bordered by Venezuelan territory on three sides, in what appears to be the latest ultra-provocative show of force from Washington. Some reports say the jets lingered long in the airspace, circling the gulf for some 40 minutes.
The flyover happened Tuesday and appears the closest known approach by American aircraft to Venezuela’s coastline since the Pentagon began a major buildup in the Caribbean several months ago, which has also seen over 20 deadly drone and aerial strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats.
The F/A-18s only increased their presence in the southern Caribbean region following the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group. US B-52 bombers have also been flying over the area, deploying from deep within the United States.
A US defense official confirmed to the Associated Press that the jets entered the Gulf of Venezuela, dubbing the maneuver a “routine training mission” – but didn’t disclose whether the jets were armed.
According to Military Times, “Public flight tracking websites showed a pair of U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jets fly over the Gulf – a body of water bounded by Venezuela and only about 150 miles at its widest point – and spend more than 30 minutes flying over water.”
The Navy fighters were accompanied by electronic warfare jets, and the group were broadcasting their positions, and so they were intended to be seen:
In addition to the F/A-18s, a pair of Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets, with the callsigns Grizzly 1 and Grizzly 2, were also tracked flying orbits in the Caribbean just north of the Gulf of Venezuela. One of the Navy’s MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drones also flew a mission further out in the Caribbean opposite Venezuela’s coastline at around the same time. It is highly probable that other U.S. military aircraft were also operating in the same broad area, but were not visible online.
The War Zone writes that “the pairing of F/A-18s with EA-18Gs positioned at a distance is precisely the configuration expected in real strike operations against targets in Venezuela.”
Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth informed congressional leaders Tuesday that he’s still mulling whether to release the complete footage of a Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel that left two survivors dead, despite mounting pressure from lawmakers demanding transparency.
Topping our most track flights list right now: a pair of US Navy F/A-18s over the Gulf of Venezuela. https://t.co/pCIB1qQdSg pic.twitter.com/8Nt548B0mB
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 9, 2025
Hegseth delivered a classified briefing to top members of Congress alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior national security officials. When pressed over whether all Congressional members will be able to view the footage, Hegseth replied that the matter “still needs to be reviewed.”
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