Tensions are escalating between the United States and Venezuela, best described as a show of force. It began in the September 2025, when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially announced a strike against a vessel that had departed Venezuela and, according to U.S. officials, was being used by a drug cartel to transport narcotics.
In response to the strike, on Thursday, August 4, two Venezuelan Air Force fighter jets, likely F-16s, carried out a demonstrative flyover near the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Jason Dunham. The U.S. Department of Defense — or Department of War, as it was referred to in Caracas — called the maneuver a provocative act. President Trump went further, threatening to shoot down Venezuelan aircraft if their actions appeared dangerous to U.S. forces.
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As part of Trump's broader plans to intensify the fight against drug trafficking, the U.S. decided to deploy 10 F-35 stealth fighters closer to the southern Caribbean.
For Venezuela, flexing its muscles in front of the U.S. is a bold move, especially considering its air force is vastly outmatched by American military power. According to the respected reference Military Balance, Venezuela's air force fields only a modest number of fighters.
In total, there are just 39 combat aircraft: 18 American-made F-16 multirole fighters (15 F-16A and 3 F-16B) and 21 Su-30MKV (a Venezuelan variant of the Su-30MK2).
Both aircraft types present serious problems. Regarding the Su-30MKV, Venezuela originally signed a deal in 2006 for 24 aircraft, but has since lost three. By 2020, only 11 were considered operational due to a lack of regular factory-level maintenance.
The F-16 fleet faces similar challenges. Delivered nearly four decades ago, reports five years ago indicated that as few as seven might have been airworthy. The exact number of operational F-16s today is unclear.
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