You’ve probably seen the headlines or the frantic social media posts. There’s always a grainy video of a ship or a vague report about "boots on the ground" near the border. It’s a mess. Honestly, trying to track the presence of the US military in Venezuela feels like trying to assemble a puzzle where half the pieces are intentionally painted the wrong color. People get really heated about this, and for good reason. Venezuela is a geopolitical tinderbox, and the shadow of American power is long. But if you're looking for a massive invasion force or a secret army currently occupying Caracas, you’re going to be disappointed. The reality is way more subtle, way more legalistic, and frankly, a bit more boring than the Hollywood version—though no less tense.
The relationship between the Pentagon and Venezuela isn’t a single event. It’s a decades-long grind.
Historically, the US and Venezuela were partners. We’re talking about the mid-20th century when American advisors helped build the Venezuelan military into one of the most capable forces in South America. They used American jets. They used American doctrine. Then came Hugo Chávez. Everything changed. Since the early 2000s, the "presence" of the US military in Venezuela has shifted from cooperation to confrontation, mostly through optics, sanctions, and "gray zone" activities. You won't find a US base there—the Venezuelan constitution literally forbids it. Instead, you find a chess match played across the Caribbean.
Where is the US military in Venezuela actually located?
If you want to find the US military near Venezuela, you don't look at the mainland. You look at the water and the neighbors. Most of the action happens under the umbrella of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is based in Doral, Florida. They handle everything from the Panama Canal down to the tip of Argentina.
For years, the most visible sign of American force has been the "Enhanced Counter-Narcotics Operations" launched in 2020. This wasn't some secret mission. The Trump administration announced it with a lot of fanfare. They moved destroyers, Littoral Combat Ships, and P-8 Poseidon aircraft into the Caribbean. The goal? Squeeze the Maduro government by cutting off the alleged "narco-terrorist" pipelines. It’s a bit of a loophole. By framing the military presence as a drug bust, the US can keep ships right off the coast without technically declaring war.
Then there’s Colombia.
Colombia has been the primary "lily pad" for the US in the region. While there aren't massive US bases in the traditional sense, the two countries share intelligence and facilities. When people talk about the US military in Venezuela, they are often actually talking about US Special Forces training Colombian troops in Cúcuta, right on the border. It’s close enough to smell the smoke, but legally, it’s a world away.
The 2019 Brinksmanship and the "Red Folder"
Remember 2019? That was the peak of the "all options are on the table" era. Juan Guaidó was recognized as the legitimate president by dozens of countries, and there was a palpable sense that something was about to pop.
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There was this famous moment where John Bolton, then the National Security Advisor, was photographed holding a yellow legal pad. On it were the words: "5,000 troops to Colombia."
That sent the internet into a tailspin. Was it a mistake? A deliberate psychological op? Likely the latter. The US military is incredibly good at "signaling." Signaling is basically flexing in front of a mirror while making sure your neighbor is watching through the window. We flew B-52 bombers nearby. We sent the USNS Comfort, a massive hospital ship, to the region to treat Venezuelan refugees. While the Comfort is technically a non-combatant vessel, it’s manned by Navy personnel and serves as a massive, floating reminder of American logistical reach.
Special Ops and the "Silvercorp" Disaster
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: Operation Gedeon. This is where the line between "US military" and "private actors" gets incredibly blurry and weird. In May 2020, a group of armed men tried to land on the Venezuelan coast to topple Maduro. It was an objective disaster.
The group was led by Jordan Goudreau, a former US Army Special Forces medic who ran a private security firm called Silvercorp USA.
The Venezuelan government immediately blamed the US military in Venezuela, claiming the CIA and the Pentagon were behind it. The US government denied it. Honestly, it looked more like a low-budget action movie than a professional military operation. Two former Green Berets, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, were captured and spent years in a Venezuelan prison before being traded back in 2023. This event is a perfect example of why the "official" presence is so hard to pin down. When private contractors with military backgrounds get involved, the waters get muddy. But strictly speaking, those guys weren't representing the Pentagon. They were on a freelance job that went south.
The War of Intelligence and Cyber Space
If there is a real war happening, it's not being fought with tanks. It's happening in the electromagnetic spectrum.
The US military, specifically through the NSA and specialized units within SOUTHCOM, maintains a constant watch on Venezuela’s communications. Why? Because Venezuela isn't alone. They have help from Russia, China, and Iran.
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- Russia has sent Tu-160 "White Swan" nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela for exercises.
- Iran has sent tankers and supposedly "technical advisors."
- China provides the surveillance tech that keeps the Maduro government in power.
Because of this, the US military in Venezuela—or rather, directed at it—is heavily focused on Electronic Warfare (EW). We want to know what their S-300 missile systems (supplied by Russia) are doing. We want to know if Iranian drones are being assembled in Maracay. This is a quiet, invisible conflict. It involves RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance planes flying patterns in international airspace, sucking up every bit of data they can.
Misconceptions: What the US Military is NOT doing
Let's clear some things up. There is a lot of junk info out there.
First, the US is not currently blockading Venezuela. A blockade is an act of war. What we have is a complex web of primary and secondary sanctions. While the Navy is in the Caribbean, they aren't stopping every cargo ship heading for Puerto Cabello. They are mostly looking for "dark" vessels—ships that turn off their transponders to smuggle oil or drugs.
Second, there is no "secret underground base" in the Guiana Highlands. This is a popular conspiracy theory on Telegram. Building a base requires a massive logistical footprint that you can't hide from modern satellites. If the US were building something, the world would see the concrete trucks and the supply lines.
Third, the US military isn't "starving" the people. The economic collapse in Venezuela is a multifaceted nightmare involving hyperinflation, oil price drops, and massive internal corruption. While sanctions definitely make things harder for the government to function, the narrative that the US military is physically stopping food shipments is a propaganda staple, not a tactical reality.
The Guyana Tension: A New Front
In 2024 and 2025, the focus shifted to the Essequibo region. This is a massive chunk of Guyana that Venezuela claims belongs to them. It's rich in oil. Suddenly, the US military in Venezuela conversation became a "US military in Guyana" conversation.
The US started conducting flight operations with the Guyanese Defense Force. It was a clear message to Maduro: "Don't try it."
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General Laura Richardson, the head of SOUTHCOM, has been very vocal about this. She has visited the region multiple times, emphasizing "security partnerships." It's the classic American playbook. We don't need to invade Venezuela if we can just park enough firepower in the countries surrounding it to make any aggressive move by Maduro look like a bad idea.
Nuance: The Role of the "Interim Government"
For a few years, the US military actually had to treat the representatives of Juan Guaidó as the official military contacts for Venezuela. This created a bizarre situation where US generals were meeting with "ministers" who had no control over a single soldier back home.
It was a diplomatic fiction that the Pentagon had to maintain.
This is important because it shows the gap between political goals and military reality. The Pentagon is generally more cautious than the State Department. While politicians might talk about "regime change," the generals are the ones who have to worry about the actual cost of a conflict in a country twice the size of California with a rugged, mountainous interior. The US military's current stance is "deterrence and preparation," not "active intervention."
What to Watch Moving Forward
The situation is fluid. One week there’s a prisoner swap, the next week there’s a new set of sanctions. If you want to stay ahead of the curve on the US military in Venezuela, don't watch the news anchors—watch the flight trackers and the maritime maps.
- Watch for P-8 Poseidon flights: These planes are the workhorses of US surveillance in the Caribbean. If you see their flight paths tightening around the Venezuelan coast, something is up.
- Monitor "Joint Exercises": When the US announces exercises with Colombia or Guyana (like Tradewinds or UNITAS), pay attention to the specific assets being used.
- Follow SOUTHCOM’s official releases: They are surprisingly transparent about their "humanitarian" missions, which are often used to build the relationships needed for potential future operations.
The reality of the US military in Venezuela is that it’s a game of shadows. It’s a combination of high-tech surveillance, diplomatic posturing, and the occasional, messy involvement of private actors. It’s not a war—at least not yet—but it’s certainly not peace. It’s a high-stakes standoff where the US is trying to exert maximum pressure with a minimum physical footprint.
Actionable Insights for Tracking the Situation
If you’re trying to separate fact from fiction regarding US military activity in South America, here is how you can verify information:
- Check the Source of "Troop Movement" Videos: Most videos claiming to show US troops entering Venezuela are actually footage from training exercises in Colombia or even old footage from the Middle East. Cross-reference landmarks.
- Verify via SOUTHCOM: The U.S. Southern Command website regularly posts its "Postures Statement." This is a public document that explains exactly what their goals are for the year. It’s dense, but it’s the most accurate roadmap you’ll find.
- Use FlightRadar24 or ADSB-Exchange: You can often see US Air Force tankers (like the KC-135) flying off the coast. These tankers are there to refuel surveillance planes. If the tankers are active, the "eyes" are in the sky.
- Look at the UN Security Council Reports: When there are legitimate concerns about military escalations, they are debated here. These transcripts provide a more balanced view of how other countries view US actions in the region.