U.S. Navy F/A-18s Fly Over Gulf of Venezuela in Closest Approach of Pressure Campaign

Overview

• Public flight data showed jets RHINO11 and RHINO12 flying over the gulf for roughly 30–50 minutes with transponders on, and they became the most tracked aircraft on Flightradar24 at the time.
• A U.S. defense official said the flight was routine, non-provocative, and remained outside Venezuelan airspace.
• No visible response from Nicolás Maduro’s government was reported as the fighters passed within a few kilometers of Maracaibo.
• The sortie marks the nearest approach by U.S. combat aircraft since the start of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Maduro.
• The flyover comes as U.S. regional operations face heightened scrutiny, with lawmakers seeking full videos of at least 22 maritime strikes since September that killed at least 87 people, and as Venezuela’s claim over the gulf remains disputed by U.S. legal and military experts.