Escalating Military Presence: US Forces Mobilize Near Venezuela

Several US military planes have been identified operating off the coast of Venezuela, as tensions continue to rise in the region.

The US has already deployed thousands of troops and the world's largest warship to within striking distance of the country.

The build-up is the largest US military presence in Latin America in decades and has sparked speculation about the potential for some kind of military action against Venezuela.

This comes after a series of US airstrikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in recent months, which the Trump administration says are necessary to stem the flow of drugs.

BBC Verify has been tracking the warships and planes involved in the military build-up so far.

Where are US warships?

The build-up in the Caribbean began in August with the deployment of air and naval forces, including a nuclear-powered submarine and spy planes according to US officials.

It now includes a range of aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, and amphibious assault ships capable of landing thousands of troops.

BBC Verify has confirmed the locations of six warships in the region this month by cross referencing ship-tracking data and satellite imagery.

This includes the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, described by the US Navy as the most capable, adaptable, and lethal combat platform in the world. The ship, which travels in a strike group with other supporting vessels, is more than 330 metres (1,100 feet) long.

BBC Verify has identified several other vessels in the Caribbean Sea - including a guided missile destroyer, an amphibious transport dock, a guided missile cruiser, and an amphibious assault ship.

We have also located a vessel which appears to be the MV Ocean Trader. This is the US Special Operations Command mothership which can serve as a base for 200 troops and has hangar bays for several helicopters.

What about planes?

The US has also deployed F-35 fighter jets to its bases in the Caribbean and has flown bombers and spy planes over the region.

BBC Verify used flight tracking data to identify four US military aircraft flying near Venezuela on 20 and 21 November.

A US B-52 long-range bomber briefly appeared on flight tracking website Flightradar24 off Guyana - Venezuela's eastern neighbour - at around 23:45 GMT (19:45 local time) on 20 November.

The data shows the bomber - call sign TIMEX11 - departed from the US state of North Dakota that afternoon and landed back there the following morning.

A US Air Force surveillance aircraft - call sign ALBUS39 - appeared on flight-tracking data just after 22:00 GMT (18:00 local time) on 20 November, flying for about two hours near the eastern coast of Venezuela.

Around a similar time a US Navy Super Hornet fighter jet - call sign FELIX11 - was seen circling off the western coast.

And a US Air Force refuelling tanker - call sign PYRO33 - was also over the southern Caribbean around 01:30 GMT (21:30 local time) on 21 November. It then stopped broadcasting its location until it was later seen heading north-west.

US President Donald Trump has also acknowledged that he authorised the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela, although the scope of what that might mean remains highly classified.

Is the US preparing to attack Venezuela?

The build-up has prompted concerns that the US is preparing to directly target Venezuela, or potentially try to topple the socialist government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Experts say these flights suggest the US is trying to gather military intelligence from the region.

The Venezuelan government has accused the US of stoking tensions in the region, with the aim of toppling the government. In response in November they declared a massive mobilisation of troops, which saw 200,000 personnel sent across the country.

While US forces have not publicly identified the people killed in previous strikes, they have alleged they were all narco-terrorists. An investigation from the Associated Press reported that several Venezuelan nationals killed in the strikes were low-level traffickers driven by poverty to a life of crime, as well as at least one local crime boss.