B-52’s are the powerhouse of the US Air Force. It is, according to the Air Force, “a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.”
Trump just sent three of them to buzz the Venezuelan coast. B-52s fly off coast of Venezuela in show of force by Trump.
Three B-52 bombers took off from Barksdale AFB in Louisiana on Wednesday and flew for hours near the coast of Venezuela, according to flight tracking data, in what appears to be a major show of force by President Donald Trump.
Not only that, but also:
Trump confirmed on Wednesday that had authorized CIA action in Venezuela because of the flow of migrants and drugs from the country, and indicated his administration is exploring land strikes inside Venezuela. [emphasis added]
Now, let’s face it: Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro is not a nice guy. How Venezuela’s Maduro went from usurper to dictator:
Nicolás Maduro has now been in power in Venezuela since 2013 – gradually usurping power over the past twelve years until becoming a full dictator. But how did we get here? The answer is: A process of election fraud, crackdown on any opposition, deep state militarisation and wider human rights abuses. It’s meant that the Venezuelan people have suffered incredibly – and likely will continue to suffer as he begins yet another term this week. [January 2025]
But the world is full of guys who are “not nice” — starting with Trump himself, his cabinet, and the dictators he admires” Xi, Putin, Orban, Erdogan. What makes Maduro different? Well, for one thing, Secretary of State Rubio doesn’t like him: (Sept. 4) A deadly strike marks a moment in Rubio’s long desire to confront Venezuela
For Rubio, his interest in targeting leftist Latin American leaders has been personal. . . . While the U.S. has tried to move past its Cold War-era legacy of interfering and destabilizing governments in Latin America, Rubio frequently advocated for more action, going against Chávez and then Maduro. He tied the struggle of the opposition movement there to that of Cuban exiles.
Seems Maduro is a left-wing dictator (or so Rubio claims), and Trump only likes right-wing ones. And yes, it is possible Maduro is mixed up with drugs, and of course there’s all that lovely oil. But the main point is that Trump needs distractions both foreign and domestic, and Venezuela may just be convenient.
Almost two months ago, the NYT was wondering what Trump was up to with Venezuela: Is the Trump Administration Building Up to a Military Confrontation With Venezuela?
The Trump administration is aggressively stoking tensions with Venezuela and its president, Nicolás Maduro, and appears to be creating conditions that could lead to a military confrontation.
A major buildup of U.S. naval forces is underway outside Venezuela’s waters as the administration has stepped up belligerent rhetoric about fighting drug cartels and labeled Mr. Maduro a terrorist-cartel leader. All that raises the question of whether the end goal is just to counter drug-smuggling boats, or a potential regime-change war.
And (Aug 22) U.S. warships to sail off Venezuela as tension soars between Trump and Maduro regime over cartel accusations. And (Aug 7) Crime AG Bondi offers $50M for arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Plus all those speedboats Trump keeps blowing up because his Eye of Sauron saw they were full of narcotics, including Monday: Trump says U.S. struck 5th boat accused of carrying drugs off coast of Venezuela, killing 6. Even some Republicans are getting nervous over that one: Concern grows in Congress over strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats, sources say :
Some members of Congress — including Republicans who broadly support the attacks and the administration generally — are also concerned about the level of precision of the intelligence used to determine targets and the possibility that an American citizen could be killed in the operations, several of the sources said.
(I should note that in this story, when asked for comments, the White House and the Pentagon referred to the “Department of War [sic!].”)
And (yesterday) Trump confirms he authorized CIA action in Venezuela:
The CIA’s operations abroad are usually shrouded in secrecy, but President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had authorized it to take unspecified action in Venezuela, an extraordinary and unprecedented acknowledgment from a commander in chief.
One can only imagine the scorch marks on the walls at Langley over this admission.
Congress has not authorized the use of force against Venezuela, nor given any other permission that could be construed as such — although last week GOP senators spike[d a] measure to halt Trump’s strikes on alleged drug boats. Not that Trump intends to pay any attention to Congress, the law, international censure, common sense, or reality.
-------------------------— Immediate Update 1400 PDT --------------------------------—
Just as I finished this diary, the NYT reported this: Head of the U.S. Military’s Southern Command Is Stepping Down, Officials Say:
The military commander overseeing the Pentagon’s escalating attacks against boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration says are smuggling drugs is stepping down, three U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The officer, Adm. Alvin Holsey, is leaving his job as head of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees all operations in Central and South America, even as the Pentagon has rapidly built up some 10,000 forces in the region in what it says is a major counterdrug and counterterrorism mission.
It was unclear why Admiral Holsey is leaving now, less than a year into his tenure, and in the midst of the biggest operation in his 37-year career. But one of the U.S. officials, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said that Admiral Holsey had raised concerns about the mission and the attacks on the alleged drug boats.
It may be officially unclear, but I think it’s quite clear. This could be the start of a larger exodus of principled military leaders. (Unfortunately, that could the military to be run by unprincipled ones, but they have already been found to be inexperienced and incompetent).
