US Marines conduct rapid-response drill at Caracas embassy months after Maduro ouster
WASHINGTON, DC: The US military carried out a rapid-response exercise at the American Embassy in Caracas on Saturday, deploying Marines and military aircraft in Venezuela’s capital more than four months after the dramatic removal of former President Nicolás Maduro.
Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft flew low over Caracas before landing inside the recently reopened US Embassy compound, where troops quickly descended onto the grounds as part of the drill.
The aircraft, known for its hybrid helicopter-and-airplane capabilities, stirred tree branches and drew crowds of onlookers near the embassy.
The US Embassy described the operation as a demonstration of emergency preparedness and mission readiness.
“Ensuring the military’s rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world,” the embassy said in a statement posted on Instagram.
Drill follows restoration of US-Venezuela relations
The exercise comes nearly two months after Washington formally reopened its embassy in Caracas following the restoration of diplomatic relations with Venezuela earlier this year.
Relations between the two countries shifted dramatically after Maduro was ousted in January during a US military operation in Caracas.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by American forces and later transferred to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
Both have pleaded not guilty. Saturday’s exercise marked one of the most visible US military operations in the Venezuelan capital since that mission.
Squadron markings on the aircraft identified them as belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, currently deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean.
The same vessel was reportedly used to transport Maduro and Flores immediately after their detention.
Venezuelan government approved exercise
Unlike previous periods of hostility between Caracas and Washington, Venezuela’s current leadership publicly approved the military drill ahead of time.
Foreign Minister Yván Gil said earlier this week that the exercise was intended to prepare for “medical emergencies or catastrophic emergencies” and would be coordinated with Venezuelan authorities.
The authorization highlighted the rapidly changing relationship between the two nations after years of diplomatic breakdown and sanctions disputes.
Some residents gathered outside the embassy compound to watch the aircraft arrive, while others protested the operation in different parts of Caracas.
A small group of demonstrators carried a Venezuelan flag bearing the slogan “No to the Yankee drill,” reflecting lingering unease among sections of the public over the expanding US military presence in the country.
Symbol of Washington’s growing footprint
The drill underscored Washington’s growing security and diplomatic footprint in Venezuela following Maduro’s fall.
The reopening of the embassy and the visible military coordination between the two governments signal a major geopolitical shift in Latin America, where Venezuela had long been one of Washington’s most outspoken adversaries.
While US officials described the operation as a routine readiness exercise, the images of American military aircraft landing in Caracas carried powerful symbolism in a country that only months ago accused Washington of orchestrating regime change.
