The U.S. military performed a rapid response exercise involving Marines and military aircraft in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday. This event took place over four months following the departure of former President Nicolás Maduro.
Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, known for their unique combination of helicopter and airplane capabilities, flew over the recently reopened U.S. Embassy in Caracas. These aircraft landed in the embassy’s parking area, creating a strong downdraft that disturbed nearby tree branches. Troops descended from the aircraft promptly.
Ensuring the military’s rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world,” the embassy shared on Instagram.
Earlier in the week, Venezuela’s government had announced the drill. Foreign Minister Yván Gil explained that the U.S. would conduct the exercise to prepare for potential medical or catastrophic emergencies. This drill took place nearly two months after the U.S. officially reopened its embassy in Caracas, which followed the reestablishment of full diplomatic relations with Venezuela after Maduro was ousted in early January.
Some residents of Caracas gathered close to the embassy to observe the aircraft, while a group of several dozen people in another area of the city protested against the exercise. The protesters displayed a Venezuelan flag with the inscription “No to the Yankee drill.”
The last presence of U.S. military aircraft in Caracas was on January 3, when elite forces descended from helicopters to detain Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were transported to New York to face drug trafficking charges, to which they have pleaded not guilty. The Ospreys that landed on Saturday were marked as part of the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, which is currently stationed on the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Sea. Maduro and Flores were taken to this vessel following their arrest.
Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, who leads U.S. Southern Command, was present to observe the exercise. On Saturday, he also held meetings with top Venezuelan officials and embassy personnel. The U.S. Southern Command announced on X that Donovan traveled on one of the Ospreys for his second official visit to Caracas this year. In February, Donovan had met with Venezuela’s defense and interior ministers during his visit.