US Air Force B-52 bombers flew over the Caribbean near the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, a provocation that comes amid US threats of military action against Venezuelan territory.
According to The War Zone, three B-52s with the call signs BUNNY01, BUNNY02, and BUNNY03 departed Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana on Wednesday morning and headed south.
The bombers then turned east and flew into an area known as the Maiquetía Flight Information Region, airspace managed by Venezuela for air traffic control purposes, though it extends beyond the country’s territorial airspace.
The flight comes as the US military has been conducting a military campaign in the southern Caribbean that has involved at least five airstrikes against boats the US has claimed, without providing evidence, were carrying drugs. The US has also deployed multiple warships to the region with a force of about 10,000 troops.
While the Trump administration has framed the campaign as an effort to combat drug trafficking, US officials have been clear that the ultimate goal is ousting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. President Trump has also authorized the CIA to conduct lethal operations inside the country.
