2 U.S. fighter jets fly over Gulf of Venezuela as lawmakers demand answers on boat strikes

The U.S. military flew a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday 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 flying over the gulf — a body of water bounded by Venezuela and only about 240 kilometres at its widest point — and spending more than 30 minutes over its waters.

A U.S. defence official confirmed a pair of jets conducted a "routine training flight" in the area.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, could not say if the jets were armed but noted they stayed in international airspace during their flight.

The official likened the training flight to previous exercises that were aimed at showing the reach of U.S. planes and said the move was not meant to be provocative.

The military has previously sent B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers to the region, but those planes flew along the coast of Venezuela. There was no indication those aircraft ever flew as close to the country's territory as the F/A-18 fighter jets did on Tuesday.

In recent months the U.S. military has built up its largest presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

U.S. President Donald Trump says land attacks are "coming soon" but has not offered any details.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people in 22 known strikes since early September, including a strike Sept. 2 that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat after an initial hit.

Lawmakers are demanding to see unedited video of the strikes, but U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders Tuesday he was still weighing whether to release it.

Hegseth provided a classified briefing for congressional leaders alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top national security officials.

Earlier, Admiral Alvin Holsey, who will be retiring from U.S. Southern Command in this week, spoke separately with the Republican chair and ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Committee chair Sen. Roger Wicker declined to discuss the specifics of the call, but said the Pentagon is weighing whether releasing the video would disclose classified information.