U.S. Air Force B-52 returns to Caribbean, flies near venezuelan coast for the second time in five days
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, conducted another long-range mission over the Caribbean Sea on November 24, flying close to Venezuela’s coastline for the second time in less than a week, according to open-source flight-tracking data. The back-to-back sorties signal a noticeable increase in U.S. strategic bomber activity in the region.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) declined to comment on operational specifics, consistent with previous missions, but recent patterns indicate that these flights are being carried out with regularity — often with the bomber’s transponder switched on, making the aircraft visible to civilian tracking platforms.
Flight Skirts Caracas, Escorted by U.S. Navy F/A-18s
Aviation observers reported that two B-52s — using the callsigns PAPPY11 and PAPPY12 — departed Minot AFB before heading southeast across the United States and toward the Gulf of Mexico. One aircraft turned back, while the other continued southward over the Caribbean.
The bomber flew just north of Caracas, accompanied by U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighters, in a high-visibility demonstration similar to the mission conducted on November 20, which Air Forces Southern later described as a “Bomber Attack Demo.” The term is typically used for presence patrols designed to signal U.S. reach and readiness.
Strategic Pressure on Maduro Amid Counter-Narcotics Operations
The flights align with Operation Southern Spear, a long-running surveillance and interdiction effort targeting transnational drug trafficking networks around Venezuela. However, analysts widely view the recent bomber activity as part of a broader U.S. pressure campaign aimed at isolating Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The Trump administration has repeatedly linked Venezuelan officials and regional cartels, classifying them as terrorist threats, and argues that this legal framework permits U.S. military actions in the area. U.S. forces have reportedly carried out 21 airstrikes against suspected “narco-boats,” resulting in 83 fatalities, though details remain scarce.
Unusually High U.S. Military Presence in the Caribbean
The B-52 missions are only one part of a substantially expanded U.S. military footprint in the region. Other U.S. assets currently operating near Venezuela include:
- MQ-9 Reaper drones for surveillance and strike
- Ten F-35B stealth fighters operating from Puerto Rico
- AC-130 gunships deployed from Puerto Rico and El Salvador
- U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft
- F/A-18 fighters deployed aboard carrier strike groups
Defense analysts note that the overall U.S. presence in the Caribbean is at one of its highest levels in recent memory, reflecting escalating political and military tension between Washington and Caracas.
