A B-52H bomber from the US empire, seen from another aircraft. Photo: X/@AFSOUTH.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The US empire’s Southern Command has announced a “bomber strike demonstration” in the Caribbean Sea. This comes amid an ongoing controversial military operation in the region against alleged drug-running small boats, which United Nations experts have labeled extrajudicial killings.
The exercise, conducted Monday and announced two days later on Wednesday, November 26, involved B-52H long-range bombers from Minot Air Force Base. The bombers were operating in support of Operation Southern Spear, which was activated to launch a new US war on drugs. For several weeks, aircraft and vessel monitors on social media have posted about an aggressive pattern of US flights with different aircraft off the coast of Venezuela.
During the drill, the B-52H joined fighter jets and trained in rapid mobility, a maneuver the US military claimed is “contributing to hemispheric security and stability.” This takes place despite rising regional tensions due to the cold-blooded nature of the US operation, which has murdered 83 civilians on 21 small boats since September 2.
.@usairforce B-52H long-range bombers from @TeamMinot conducted a Bomber Attack Demo in the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Southern Spear, bringing Hemispheric security & stability, Nov 24. During the mission, USAF integrated with fighter jets & trained on rapid mobility. pic.twitter.com/cQAhMJMV5c
— Air Forces Southern (@AFSOUTH) November 26, 2025
The US Navy also reported Sunday night flight operations as part of its military deployment in the Caribbean Sea, stating that “the flight deck never sleeps.” They said that flights are being conducted from the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford; the carrier has been in the area for several days amid escalating tensions stemming from the continued US regime-change attempt against Venezuela.
The military air deployment coincided with a visit by the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Dan Caine, to Trinidad and Tobago, one of the most “sympathetic countries to the US operation.” It also coincided with a visit by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to the Dominican Republic, where he arrived Wednesday to pressure the island to support the controversial US operation.
On Tuesday, the president of the US empire, Donald Trump, threatened Venezuela once more from Air Force One: “If we can save lives, if we can do it the easy way, that’s fine. And if we have to do it the hard way, then so be it.” In his contradictory “good cop, bad cop” approach toward Venezuela, he added that he is open to conversations with President Maduro but immediately afterwards launched his typical unfounded and implausible accusations against the Venezuelan leader.
Dominican Republic grants base access
During Hegseth’s visit, the Dominican government authorized the use of its air bases for US troops to carry out logistical activities as part of Operation Southern Spear. Dominican President Luis Abinader announced the move during a joint press conference with Hegseth at the National Palace in Santo Domingo.
“We have authorized the US, for a limited time,” Abinader reported, “to use restricted areas at the San Isidro Air Base and the Las AmĂ©ricas International Airport for the logistical operation of refueling aircraft, transport of equipment and technical personnel.” The US had been seeking this support for the last few weeks, based on information from local news outlets.
According to experts, the tension created by the US military operation was the main cause for the suspension of the US-led Summit of the Americas, which had been originally scheduled for early December in the Dominican Republic. The unprecedented decision to suspend it represented an important defeat for US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, one of the main forces behind the recent escalation of US imperialism in the region.
Abinader commented that the measure is being implemented under the current legal framework and prior agreements established with the US regime. He also noted it is a temporary expansion of bilateral cooperation “to strengthen air and maritime surveillance against drug trafficking.” These operations, the president added, would only be carried out if the Dominican Republic endorses and supports the actions planned by the Pentagon. “Its scope is technical, limited, and temporary,” the head of state claimed.
Hegseth stated that the agreement is “provisional” and will respect the “laws” and “sovereignty” of the Dominican Republic. “It is a great partnership, a joint initiative against drug trafficking and narco-terrorism,” said the US secretary of war, who claimed the pact to be “a model for the region” that the US hopes to “expand with other countries that want to partner” with Washington in the fight against “narco-terrorists.”
Hegseth’s visit comes amid a tense geopolitical climate due to the massive presence of US Southern Command troops in the Caribbean. This situation has caused serious friction with Venezuela and Colombia, and has raised alarms in other countries such as MĂ©xico and Brazil, along with Cuba, Nicaragua, and other nations in the CARICOM geopolitical region, that condemn the US bombings and military attacks in the region against these small boats.
The presence of the US official in the Caribbean also adds to what Venezuela has described as a regime-change operation. This is accompanied by direct rhetoric claiming Venezuelan authorities are part of the fictional “Cartel of the Suns” and the now-non-existent Tren de Aragua criminal gang, and follows the raising of the bounty on President Maduro’s head to US $50 million last August.
The US empire’s geopolitical move, which also seeks to curb the strong alliances and cooperation of countries like China and Russia in the region, is seen by most analysts as a desperate attempt to secure control over the region it considers its “backyard.” This comes amid a change in the correlation of forces on the international scene and the potential for using nations in the region as posts, while securing important and strategic natural resources and suppressing independent democratic countries like Venezuela, Cuba, or Nicaragua.
Hegseth’s threats
At the press conference, US War Secretary Hegseth issued a new threat against those who bring drugs into the US, claiming that the government has “every right in the world” to “kill” those involved in such crimes, amid the growing international condemnation of the bloody and disproportionate US killing spree.
Hegseth added that Washington is “dedicated to the effort against the cartels” and that crime “knows no borders,” whether in the US entity or the Caribbean. However, the US regime has not shown decisive action against the cartels that distribute drugs inside the US, nor to curb the extremely high consumption of drugs demanded by millions of its nationals.
“President Trump believes in one clear principle: peace through strength,” the war chief said. “You get peace by being strong. And if you’re a narco-terrorist who wants to bring drugs into the US, we will find you, we will fix you, and we will take you out, because we have every right in the world.” He claimed that the White House has “many lawyers, many intelligence analysts,” and knows exactly who it is targeting and why, adding, “If you are involved in that conduct, we will kill you.”
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/AU
