The United States sent supersonic B-1 bombers to the coast of Venezuela
On Thursday, the U.S. military sent two supersonic heavy bombers to the coast of Venezuela, a little more than a week after another group of aircraft made a similar flight as part of a simulated attack exercise. This was reported by the agency Associated Press.
The U.S. military has deployed an unusually large number of troops in the Caribbean Sea and waters off the coast of Venezuela, raising speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump may try to overthrow the country's dictator Nicolas Maduro, whom he has accused of drug terrorism.
Reinforcing these assumptions, the US military has been striking ships in Venezuelan waters since early September that Trump claims are involved in drug trafficking.
According to flight tracking data, two B-1 Lancer bombers took off from Dice Air Force Base in Texas on Thursday and flew across the Caribbean Sea to the coast of Venezuela. An unnamed U.S. official confirmed that the B-1 training flight took place in the Caribbean.
The B-1 bomber can carry more bombs than any other aircraft in service with the United States, journalists say.
A similar flight of slower B-52 Stratofortress bombers took place in the region last week. The bombers were joined by F-35B fighter jets. The Pentagon called it a "bomber attack demonstration," as evidenced by photos posted online.
When asked about the B-1 flight on Thursday and whether it was aimed at increasing military pressure on Venezuela, Trump replied: "That's a lie, but we are unhappy with Venezuela for many reasons. Drugs are one of them.".
On Wednesday, the US president said he had the "legal authority" to strike ships suspected of carrying drugs and suggested that similar strikes could be carried out on land.
"We will deal them a very strong blow when they come overland. We are fully prepared for that. And we'll probably come back to Congress and explain exactly what we're doing when we come on land," he added.
The B-1 Lancer is a supersonic strategic bomber developed by Rockwell (now Boeing). It has a variable wing geometry that allows it to operate effectively at both high and low altitudes. The maximum speed of the aircraft reaches over 1300 km/h, and the flight range is about 12,000 km without refueling..
The B-1 can carry up to 34 tons of ammunition, including nuclear and precision conventional bombs. It has been actively used in US military operations since the late 1980s and remains an important element of US strategic aviation.
- On January 19, 2025, Axios wrote that the Trump administration wants Maduro to step down as Venezuela's.
- In August, the U.S. increased the reward for information, for information leading to Maduro's arrest, from $25 million to $50 million.
- On August 29, Axios reported that the US, under the guise of fighting drug trafficking in Venezuela, may try to overthrow the Maduro regime.
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