Trump dispatches B-1 bombers and other military assets to Venezuela

The Trump administration has been ramping up US military presence near Latin America. In response to what the White House refers to as the rising threat of drug cartels in the region, American defense equipment and personnel ranging from warships and bombers to destroyers and aircraft carriers have been sent to address the issue. Most recently, several B-1B “Lancer” bombers were deployed to the coast of Venezuela, representing the latest show of force aimed at Caracas and associated drug cartels.

Since October 15, three “bomber attack demonstrations” carried out by B-1 bombers have been carried out near the Latin American country. According to publicly accessible flight tracking data, two B-1s took off from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas before making their way through the Caribbean and up the Venezuelan coast. One week prior, a similar flight carried out by the service’s B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleet also took place in the same general area.

The Trump administration first issued an executive order (EO) aimed at dismantling drug cartels back in January. As detailed in the EO, “The Cartels’ activities threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere. Their activities, proximity to, and incursions into the physical territory of the United States pose an unacceptable national security risk to the United States.”

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