US military flies 2 fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela as scrutiny grows

The U.S. military has flown a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appears to be the closest American warplanes have come to the South American country’s airspace since the start of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign. Public flight tracking websites showed a pair of U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jets fly over the Gulf on Tuesday. A U.S. defense official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that the jets conducted a “routine training flight” and said they stayed in international airspace. The flights are the latest action by the U.S. military in the region. Deadly strikes on alleged drug boats are drawing new scrutiny from lawmakers.