Overview

• Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said the aircraft were identified as F-35s and provided speed and altitude details from Venezuelan tracking.
• Officials said the presence was registered by air defenses and Maiquetía air traffic control, with a report from an Avianca crew in the area.
• The jets were reported about 75 kilometers from shore, beyond Venezuela’s 12‑nautical‑mile airspace limit, yet authorities condemned the approach as a security threat.
• The Pentagon had not confirmed the reported flight, as U.S. forces continue operations that Washington says target drug trafficking networks.
• U.S. deployments include warships, a submarine, and F‑35s forward‑based in Puerto Rico, while earlier U.S. boat strikes off Venezuela killed more than a dozen people and drew legal scrutiny.