US flies B-1 bombers near Venezuela: Is Trump’s gambit turning a drug war into a shooting war?

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on August 07, 2025 shows US President Donald Trump (L) in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 5, 2024, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) in Caracas on July 31, 2024.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have reached their highest point in years as the United States reportedly flew two B-1 Lancer bombers near Venezuelan airspace, prompting fears that President Donald Trump may be preparing for military confrontation with President Nicolas Maduro. The flights come amid a string of US strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and a growing American military buildup around Venezuela.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the two supersonic B-1 bombers took off from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas on Thursday and flew close to Venezuelan airspace, remaining in international waters throughout the mission. The B-1s, capable of carrying over 34,000 kilograms of bombs, conducted what officials described as “a show of force” aimed at deterring adversaries in the region.

Tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed that at least one of the bombers flew toward Venezuela’s coast before making a U-turn northward and disappearing from radar. Two KC-135 tankers and an RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft were also spotted in the area, suggesting a coordinated long-range operation.

Trump dismisses reports, but pressure mounts

President Donald Trump, when asked at the White House whether the US had sent the B-1 bombers to escalate pressure on Venezuela, dismissed the reports as “false.” However, he added, “The United States is not happy with Venezuela for a lot of reasons.”

The statement came amid heightened scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive posture in the Caribbean. Over the past month, Trump has authorised covert CIA operations inside Venezuela, dispatched Navy warships and 10,000 personnel to the region, and placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro’s head.

Some observers see the bomber flights and recent naval deployments as part of a larger effort to trigger “regime change” in Caracas under the guise of counter-narcotics operations. The United States claims that Venezuelan vessels have been used by drug cartels, though it has yet to release evidence supporting these assertions.

Maduro warns of retaliation

President Nicolas Maduro has accused Washington of planning an invasion and vowed to defend Venezuelan sovereignty. In a defiant televised address, he said his forces had deployed 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles across the country “in key air defence positions.”

“Any military force in the world knows the power of the Igla-S and Venezuela has no less than 5,000,” Maduro warned. “They have been deployed across the country, even in the last mountain, the last town, and the last city of the territory.”

In a rare appeal in English, Maduro later urged peace. “No crazy war, please! Yes peace, yes peace forever, peace forever,” he said during a meeting with trade unions.

Signs of military escalation

The B-1 mission follows a similar operation last week when three B-52 bombers and F-35B stealth fighters were spotted conducting flight exercises near Venezuelan waters. US Air Force officials said these missions are designed to “proactively deter adversary threats, enhance crew training, and ensure global force readiness.”

Meanwhile, the US has intensified what it calls “counter-narcotics operations” in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since September 2. These strikes have killed at least 37 people, according to American figures, though the targets’ alleged links to drug trafficking remain unproven.

A Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Ministry statement confirmed that a US Navy destroyer, the USS Gravely, will dock in Port of Spain from October 26 to 30 for joint military drills near Venezuelan waters — a move likely to deepen regional tensions.

Experts warn of a dangerous brinkmanship

While experts agree that Venezuela’s military cannot match US firepower, its large cache of Russian-made surface-to-air missiles poses a credible threat to American aircraft. A former Venezuelan army general told reporters that most of these missiles are stationed along the coast “due to government fears of a US attack.”

Military analysts warn that any direct clash could quickly spiral out of control. “Venezuela’s forces are ill-equipped for a conventional war, but its militia could tie down US troops in an urban insurgency,” one expert noted.

For now, Washington insists that the bomber flights are part of a “training exercise.” But with bombers in the skies, warships in nearby waters, and rhetoric hardening on both sides, the question remains: is Donald Trump preparing the ground for a war against Maduro?