B-52 bomber, fighter jets, recon planes…: Is Trump preparing military action against THIS country? US stages ‘attack demo’ near…

US-Venezuela war: In what could be an indication of US President Doland Trump preparing to launch military strikes against Venezuela, the United States conducted a large-scale “attack demo” near the south American nation on Thursday, which included a B-52 strategic bomber, a supersonic F/A-18E fighter jet and multiple reconnaissance planes.

Why US conducted military exercise off Venezuelan coast?

According to a CNN report, the US’ show of force, which comes days ahead of a deadline under which the Trump administration to designate President Nicolas Maduro and his allies as members of a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO), included at least six US military aircraft, and was conducted off the Venezuelan coast.

According to the US Air Forces Southern Command, Thursday’s exercise was a “bomber attack demo” aimed at deterring illicit trafficking. The USAF’s F/A-18E jet flew from the USS Gerald Ford, which reached the Caribbean earlier this week. An RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft was also seen flying repeated loops near Venezuela’s eastern border.

The US military has been steadily increasing its activity near Venezuela since mid-October, flying B-52 and B-1 bombers closer to the Venezuelan coastline with each mission. Most flights have taken place north of Caracas and Isla Margarita, an island where Venezuelan forces recently held amphibious training exercises, CNN reported.

Is Trump planning to attack Venezuela?

The US State Department  has announced plans to designate Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), with the designation set to take effect on November 24. US claims the cartel is led by Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials of what Washington calls the “illegitimate Maduro regime.”

According to the US, the cartel has has deeply infiltrated and corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature and judiciary structures, while providing support to violent criminal organisations across the region.

The designation would enable Doland Trump to impose new sanctions against Venezuela, however, legal experts believe it does not directly permit the use of lethal military force, even as top Trump administration officials argue that the label could widen military options for possible strikes inside Venezuela.

“It gives more tools to our department to give options to the President,” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday.

What did Trump say about Maduro?

Meanwhile, amid escalating tensions, Trump said on Friday that he expected to speak with Maduro “in the not-too-distant future.”
“I can’t tell you what I’m going to tell him, but I have something very specific to say,” the US president told Fox News.

Earlier in the week, Trump had indicated he was open to diplomatic talks, though no public progress has been reported.

(With inputs from agencies)