A US Air Force C-32B aircraft (Reg# 00-9001) carrying the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST) became airborne from Key West (KWRI) between 11:15 PM and 11:45 PM UTC on December 17, 2025, as F-22 Raptors departed Langley Air Force Base in multiple waves, according to X posts by @AirAssets. @AirAssets reported hearing a second wave of Raptors leaving Langley and cited @minister_pl estimating three waves of 2-4 aircraft each, based on audio from 3.5 to 5 miles away. The FEST is an on-call team for worldwide crises. These movements occurred amid US-Venezuela tensions, including President Donald Trump's naval blockade order on December 16. Journalist Marc Caputo stated on X that sources confirmed no congressional briefings occurred yesterday on impending war and no presidential announcement is planned at 9 PM tonight, contradicting claims by Tucker Carlson. Caputo's post, shared in the 29-minute window, addressed speculation ahead of any Trump address. X user @JuliaManch reported chatter following observations of Secretary of State Marco Rubio pacing in the Oval Office that afternoon while awaiting President Trump's return.
