B-52-Bomber

Another show of force: US bombers fly off the coast of Venezuela

Amid tensions between the US and Venezuela, two US B-52 bombers flew off the coast of Venezuela on Thursday. As seen on air traffic tracking portal Flightradar24, the two planes flew parallel to the Venezuelan coast, then circled northeast of Caracas before flying back along the coast, turning north and flying further out to sea. It is at least the fourth time since mid-October that US military aircraft have flown near Venezuela.

The US has sent eight warships and several fighter jets to the Caribbean. According to President Donald Trump, the aim of the massive US military operation is to combat drug smuggling. The US President accuses Venezuela’s left-wing head of state Nicolás Maduro of controlling drug gangs. The Venezuelan leadership rejects this and in turn accuses the USA of wanting to overthrow the government in Caracas.



The US Army has been carrying out attacks on boats in the Caribbean since the beginning of September, and later boats in the eastern Pacific were also attacked. According to the US government, the attacked boats were said to have been transporting drugs.

However, Washington has so far provided no evidence that the attacked boats were actually carrying drugs. Critics describe the attacks as extrajudicial executions and contrary to international law – even if they were actually directed against drug traffickers.

Bryce

I am Bryce, a writer for Southshore Journal, and I bring my passion for general news to our dynamic team. My commitment to editorial quality and the responsibility of informing guide my daily efforts. Working in collaboration with our talented journalists and editors, I strive to provide accurate and current information for our attentive audience.