The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Monday it successfully carried out a joint airpower coastal patrol off the coast of Venezuela.
SOUTHCOM detailed in a social media post that a U.S. Marines F-35s, a U.S. Navy P-8, and a U.S. Air Force KC-46 conducted a “Joint Airpower Coastal Presence Patrol” off the coast of Venezuela on Friday March 6.
“Our persistent presence is a testament to our commitment to our partners in the region. We are always on watch,” SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan said.
SOUTHCOM published four images of the U.S. Military aircraft, one of which shows them near the coastal city of La Guaira, where Venezuela’s main international airport is located at.
SOUTHCOM’s March 6 joint patrol notably took place hours after the United States and Venezuela agreed to restore diplomatic ties on March 5, ending a seven year-long rupture after now-deposed socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro had Venezuela cut all ties with the U.S. in 2019.
“U.S. Southern Command stands with Amb. Laura Dogu and U.S. government partners in supporting a free, safe, and prosperous Venezuela,” Gen. Donovan said on Friday. “A U.S.-aligned Venezuela will enable renewed security cooperation to counter transnational threats, benefit citizens, and promote stability in the Western Hemisphere.”
The patrol also occurred roughly two months after the U.S. carried out a law enforcement operation in Caracas to arrest Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who both face drug trafficking charges at a New York court. The pair is presently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and are expected to appear before the court for a hearing on March 26.
Following Maduro’s arrest on January 3, “acting President” Delcy Rodríguez began collaborating with the administration of President Donald Trump, seeking U.S. help and investment towards restoring the nation’s rundown oil and energy infrastructure in return for allowing U.S. access to the nation’s oil, gas, and mineral resources, including critical minerals. Last week, Rodríguez described President Trump as a “friend” and “partner” during an official event next to Maduro’s son, socialist lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra.
Rodríguez’s collaboration with the U.S. has seen her hold meetings with several U.S. officials and representatives, including Energy Secretary Christ Wright in February and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in early March. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Burgum revealed that the U.S. received a $100 million gold shipment from Venezuela last week, and announced that the nation’s socialist lawmakers would soon reform the nation’s mining laws to allow foreign investment in the sector.
The Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reports that the National Assembly, led by Delcy’s brother Jorge Rodríguez, gave initial approval to a new mining law days after Burgum visited Caracas. The bill will go to a yet-to-be scheduled second debate, which requires each article to be approved individually.
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