Amid the growing regional crisis and rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, U.S. Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer strategic bombers carried out on the 27th of this month a new series of flights near Venezuelan airspace, reaching an approximate distance of 20 nautical miles from the country’s northern coast. This operation, the third in less than two weeks, is part of a campaign of military pressure directed against the government of Nicolás Maduro and the drug trafficking networks operating in the region, consolidating the show of force by U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) in the Caribbean.
The B-1B bombers conducted their mission with their transponders active, suggesting a deliberately visible operation. The aircraft took off from Grand Forks Air Base (North Dakota, USA), refueled midair over Florida with the support of several Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, and then headed south. During the day, the presence of P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper drones was also recorded, evidencing a broad U.S. reconnaissance and deterrence air deployment along the Venezuelan coast.
The recent B-1B incursions add to a succession of high-profile operations that began in mid-October, when three B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers from the 2nd Bomb Wing flew over the Caribbean alongside F-35B Lightning II fighters from the Marine Corps. That was the first operation of its kind in the region, paving the way for a continuous air presence combining different bomber and combat aircraft models. A few days later, on October 23, two more B-1B Lancers followed similar flight paths, reaffirming the U.S. power projection strategy within USSOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility.
According to Pentagon sources, these operations fall under the policy promoted by President Donald Trump’s administration, which classifies drug cartels as “non-state combatant forces.” Under this premise, Washington has carried out selective strikes against boats suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean, invoking the declaration of an alleged “armed conflict” against narcoterrorism.
In parallel with the aerial deployments, the Department of Defense ordered the redeployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) to the Southern Command’s operational area. The flagship, accompanied by its task group—composed of destroyers and support units—departed from the port of Split, Croatia, after receiving the presidential directive to intensify actions against transnational criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere. According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the reinforced presence “will strengthen the United States’ ability to detect, monitor, and dismantle illicit activities that threaten regional stability and national security.”
The increase in U.S. military presence, both aerial and naval, reinforces a strategy of deterrent pressure on the Venezuelan government, which Washington accuses of maintaining direct ties with drug trafficking. The B-1Bs, capable of launching cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs, represent a key component of this show of force. Complementing them are AC-130J Ghostrider attack aircraft, shipborne helicopters, and units from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, evidencing a significant increase in U.S. power projection capabilities in the Caribbean.
In response to this escalation, Nicolás Maduro’s government deployed Russian-made Buk-M2E air defense systems at La Carlota Air Base in Caracas, in addition to stating that the country has more than 5,000 Igla-S man-portable missiles ready for defensive use. In official statements, the president described the U.S. operations as “an imperial provocation” and asserted that Venezuela is prepared to “defend its sovereignty against any threat.”
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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