Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino L贸pez warned Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago in the past hour that they "will receive an answer" if they allow themselves to be used for attacks against Venezuela. The statement was issued by Nicol谩s Maduro's administration and shared via social media on September 14th. This warning follows a period of heightened regional military activity, including the U.S. deployment of Marine F-35B stealth fighter aircraft to Puerto Rico yesterday, September 13th, as part of a broader military buildup in the Caribbean. This U.S. presence includes a substantial naval deployment, according to a SOUTHCOM update shared on September 14th. Earlier, between 6:32 PM and 8:32 PM UTC on September 14th, a Venezuelan military transport aircraft, FAV-9508, a C-30H Hercules, was tracked flying from the El Libertador air base to Orchila Island and returning. Unconfirmed social media reports from earlier on September 14th also detailed extensive underground facilities at Maiquetia International Sim贸n Bol铆var Airport. The Dutch frigate HNLMS Van Amstel was also dispatched from Willemstad, Cura莽ao, on the morning of September 14th, its specific mission undisclosed. An unidentified aircraft, potentially a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, was observed flying at 49,000 feet near Venezuelan airspace on September 14th, according to social media posts. Venezuelan Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino L贸pez has previously commented on the increased presence of U.S. military aircraft in the Caribbean, citing frequent violations of operational norms due to a lack of flight plan notifications.
