CARACAS – On Saturday, the U.S. military executed a swift-response exercise in the heart of Venezuela’s capital involving Marines and military aircraft, marking a significant event following the departure of former President Nicolás Maduro over four months ago.
Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, known for their unique ability to function both as a helicopter and an airplane, flew over the newly reopened U.S. Embassy in Caracas. The aircraft landed in the embassy’s parking lot, creating a strong downdraft that rustled nearby trees, as military personnel swiftly disembarked.
The U.S. Embassy emphasized the importance of such exercises on Instagram, stating, “Ensuring the military’s rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world.”
Earlier this week, the Venezuelan government disclosed plans for the drill, with Foreign Minister Yván Gil explaining that the United States aimed to prepare for potential medical or catastrophic emergencies.
This exercise took place nearly two months after the United States officially reopened its embassy in Caracas, a move that followed the full restoration of diplomatic relations with Venezuela after Maduro’s removal from office in early January.
While some residents of Caracas gathered near the embassy to witness the aircraft’s maneuvers, others expressed their dissent. A group of protesters, holding a Venezuelan flag emblazoned with “No to the Yankee drill,” gathered elsewhere in the city to voice their opposition to the military exercise.
U.S. military aircraft last flew over Caracas on Jan. 3, when elite forces rappelled down from helicopters and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. They have pleaded not guilty.
Squadron markings on the Ospreys that landed in the capital Saturday identified them as belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263. The same squadron is currently deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Ocean. Maduro and Flores were flown to that warship immediately after their detention.
The head of U.S. military operations in Latin America observed the exercise firsthand. Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, head of the U.S. Southern Command, also met on Saturday with senior Venezuelan officials and embassy staff.
U.S. Southern Command said on X that Donovan arrived in one of the Ospreys for his second official visit to Caracas this year. During a visit in February, Donovan met with Venezuela’s defense and interior ministers.
